Interlude
by Sealgirl
Summary: (COMPLETE) A quiet rest turns into a nightmare for Presto when the Hat takes one of his rhymes literally.
1. A Well Deserved Rest

DISCLAIMER: **Vacancy**: one disclaimer for the cartoon "Dungeons and Dragons". Must make clear who owns what. No references necessary. Apply within.

STORY: Set after directly the events the episode 'Winds of Darkness'.

It is also set after the story 'Only Heroes Make it Home' but it is NOT necessary to read 'Only Heroes Make it Home' to understand this story, since it is not a sequel. (And I'm absolutely sure about it this time!)

RATING: PG13.

THANKS: Goes, as always, to all who reviewed my other stories. It is always wonderful to get a review, and I find it much easier to write when I know that there are people out there that are enjoying it. Thanks to all!

* * *

INTERLUDE

Chapter 1

A Well Deserved Rest

It was something Presto always found difficult. The tension inside him had been growing since they'd left the Grotto of Darkness, the same feeling that he often had after they'd defeated another minion of Evil.

He'd thought that he'd get used to it, but he had never had much practice at success before he arrived in the Realm. But it wasn't so much the fact that they won, that Evil had been defeated, again. No, it was the speed, the sudden change. One minute they were fighting for their very lives, the next it was over, as if someone had just switched off the bad guys. The adrenaline was still in his system, making him jumpy, in spite of their surroundings.

He sighed, watching the dark shadows dance on the tavern's walls.

They had Hank back, safe and sound. Now the Darkling had been banished, Martha could finally go home to her family without fear of what would happen to them. Everything was back to normal, but he still felt strange. They had been in some tight spots before, but in the fight against the Darkling, something was different, something that he couldn't quite understand.

'Hey, Presto! Whatya thinking about?'

The Magician looked up.

The six Young Ones were in a room in an old tavern in the City of Mindril. When they had returned with news of the Darkling's destruction (and a few of the freed prisoners) they had been welcomed with open arms and offers of lodgings. It was a nice change.

That evening, the owner had served them a superb, home-cooked dinner and the Young Ones were now lounging about in one of the private rooms above the bar. They didn't get the chance to lounge that often. That was a nice change too.

'Whatya thinkin' about?' asked Bobby again.

The Barbarian was sitting in front of the open fire with Uni lying beside him, snuffling in her sleep. His Club was with the Bow and Shield in the corner of the room, along with his Viking helmet.

'Aw, you know,' said Presto. 'Being here, being free. Being alive.'

The Barbarian nodded. They all knew what he meant; they'd all felt it too at some time. It was this stupid place. Presto shivered, cold despite the thick robes and the roaring fire. There was a sudden murmur of laughter from the bar downstairs.

'So, guys, what we gonna do now?' asked Diana.

The Acrobat was stretched out across the chair opposite, her long legs dangling over the side. The firelight glinted off her golden jewellery.

'Search for Krin, I suppose,' said Hank. He was resting on a big sofa-like chair with Sheila, his arm round her shoulders. He hadn't strayed far from her side since the Darkling's Grotto. In fact, now Presto thought about it, he hadn't strayed far from her since they'd last seen Venger. 'That's what Dungeonmaster said,' the Ranger added.

There were soft murmurs of approval from the others. Presto could remember their guide's words: _"I have heard of a great magician, by the name of Krin, who might be able to send you home." _Another chance to get back to Earth, another adventure.

But tonight, Presto was tired of adventures. Was this ever going to end? He had been feeling pleased with himself earlier that evening. OK, so his magic hadn't worked that well against the Darkling, all it had done was suck some of that horrible fog stuff up, but they had Hank back safely and saved the Realm, again. That was all that mattered. But that was all they seemed to do. Each riddle lead them round in circles, never back home. He pulled his green Magician's clothes in more tightly and tried to sink deeper into his chair.

'Dungeonmaster hasn't given us much of a clue this time,' said Sheila sleepily. 'How are we gonna find Krin? All we have is a name.'

'Maybe he'll tell us more later,' said Hank. 'But we'll head south tomorrow.'

'Aw, Hank! Do we have to?' said Bobby. 'Those hills look awful high!'

'It won't be so bad,' said Sheila. 'We'll cross them in a few days.'

'And you never know what's hiding in them,' added Eric darkly.

The Magician glanced at the Cavalier in mild surprise. He was sitting in the far corner of the room, deep in shadows with his back against the wall, and so well hidden it was hard to make out his blue chainmail and yellow armour. Presto couldn't see his face.

'Oh, don't be so pessimistic, Cavalier!' said Diana.

'I'm in a pessimistic mood,' he replied without sarcasm. 'And I'm going to bed, it's an early start tomorrow.' He looked round at the astonished faces of his friends. 'What? What'd I say?'

'What's got into you?' asked Diana. 'If it wasn't for the armour, I wouldn't recognise you!'

Presto smiled in agreement. There was something odd about Eric. He hadn't been the same since they had left the remains of Venger castle. Even his stint as stand-in leader hadn't cheered him up. There was a hard, almost ruthless determination about him, as if getting home had suddenly become much more important.

The Magician shivered again. Eric taken charge of them all so confidently when Hank was gone. He'd stood up to Dungeonmaster; he'd ignored the sensible-but-safe advice of Martha. Damn it, he'd been a good leader, even if it was just for a couple of nights. Presto didn't know which surprised him more, that Eric had taken up the challenge of leadership or that he'd done it so well. The last time they were Hank-less had been a disaster. The Magician frowned. He didn't like thinking about their time with the Cloud Bears, or remembering how he'd felt when they thought Hank had betrayed them. He was feeling bad enough without thinking about that too!

The Cavalier had crossed his arms and was scowling at the others.

'That's real funny, guys,' said Eric shortly. 'But gimme a break, OK! It's not like needing sleep is unusual!'

'Oh, don't lets bicker. Please,' said Sheila. 'I like us all being here, together again.'

Hank tightened his grip on the Thief's shoulders as she spoke. Presto looked from one to the other. There was definitely something going on with them this time. Then he sighed, and fidgeted with his Hat. Sheila's words made him feel inexplicably uncomfortable.

_Together_.

At the beginning, when they first arrived here, there was no way he would have admitting these feelings to anyone. But now, they'd all grown together, like a family. They'd all learned to trust each other, even if it had taken some longer than others.

Suddenly, he knew what was bothering him and turned to his five friends, needing to speak.

'Do you know how close we came to losing that time?' he asked. 'I thought we were goners for sure.'

They all knew it was going to happen. One of these days, they would find an enemy they couldn't handle. One of these days, their luck was going to run out, and then not even Dungeonmaster would be able to help.

There was a long silence. Everyone seemed to be thinking the same thing. It had been too close against the Darkling. Eric had summed it up when he spoke to Martha, just before Dungeonmaster had appeared: _'I didn't expect you to come help us, but I'm sure glad you did.' _

Sheila snuggled closer to the Ranger as everyone, including the Cavalier, turned to look at Hank.

'How do you feel now, Hank?' asked Diana.

The Ranger shrugged.

'Better for some food, I think,' he replied. 'But I still feel kinda weird.'

'We were lucky,' said Diana. 'If Martha hadn't come to help, we wouldn't have been able to get you back.' She smiled at the Ranger.

'I'm sure glad she did,' said Bobby.

'You know, we're really lucky to find people like her in this place,' said Sheila, resting her head against Hank's shoulder. 'Not everyone is so friendly.'

'And we're lucky to be together,' murmured the Cavalier from the background.

Presto nodded. Not everyone was so fortunate. It was times like this he really felt these people were his family.

'I don't know what I'd do without you guys,' he said warmly. 'I mean it. This place is terrible, but it would be a thousand times worse on my own.'

He thought back to the time he'd spelled his friends to that dumb Giant's castle. That was not his finest hour! Sheila smiled at him, from the depths of Hank's embrace.

'We need you too, Presto,' she said.

There was a brief silence, then Eric snorted.

'Oh, please! This is too much! Any more sugar and I'll need an insulin injection!' He stood up. 'And I'm still going to bed.'

'Oh no, Eric,' said Sheila. 'C'mon, stay and talk for a while.'

Presto looked down at the Hat in his hands. Maybe a little magic could cheer everyone up, something to remind them how lucky they were to have each other, something to take their minds off the home-shaped hole inside.

Absentmindedly, he waved his hand over the Hat.

'You know, we're sure lucky to have each other. Abra-ca-dabra, abra-ca-dember, do something that we can remember!'

Everyone had turned to look at him. Nothing happened.

Presto felt a familiar surge of frustration and vulnerability. He was always lagging behind, always needing a pep talk from Hank or a kind smile from Sheila. They expected too much of him. He couldn't live up to what they wanted from him. And why, why-why-WHY wouldn't the dumb Hat just work for once!

'Give up, Presto!' said Diana with a grin.

But Presto didn't want to give up. He hated it when the Hat didn't work, even though the sensible part of him knew that he should be used to it by now. Was he ever going to get it to work properly?

'C'mon, you dumb Hat! At least do something!'

The Magician frowned and peered into the Hat. Nothing was there.

He looked up and Eric finally smiled, for the first time since Dungeonmaster had disappeared. _That's something,_ thought Presto._ At least I've made my best friend smile._

'It was a nice try, Presto,' said the Cavalier. 'But I guess we'll have to live without magic for a while. I'm going to bed.'

Eric turned to leave, ignoring Sheila's frown. Presto looked back at the Hat. He was going to make it work if it was the last thing he did! He stuck his hand in to rummage around. That sometimes worked.

'C'mon,' he murmured, 'Do something! Anything!'

Suddenly, the soft material of the Hat gripped his hand like a vice. Presto cried out, and tried to pull back, but it wouldn't let go. The pressure grew, and the Magician couldn't get away, the pain in his hand increasing exponentially. He looked at his friends in desperation.

Eric had gripped the handle of the door. Diana was watching him leave, a slight, sad frown on her face. Hank and Sheila were looking at each other, smiling at some private joke. Bobby had leaned back, his eyes closed and his hand on Uni's mane.

But as Presto watched, he realised they weren't moving.

The weapon contracted again. There was a sharp tug on his arm then, without warning, he was pulled through the Hat, and was falling…

* * *

Presto was uncomfortable. There was a nasty, suffocating smell and he was very hot. He was sweating and something was digging into his back. Something sharp. Why did it always happen on days when he wasn't on watch? It wasn't like they were anywhere dangerous this time. Mindril was a nice, safe place. What could go wrong there?

He shifted awkwardly again, steadfastly refusing to open his eyes and wake up. But the discomfort didn't lift. Darn it, why couldn't he get a bit of peace! Was that really so much to ask: a bit of peace for a night before they went tramping over the Realm again? Why did it have to be him?

The Magician groaned quietly and tried to turn over.

His hand touched something excruciatingly hot, and immediately he opened his eyes.

He'd spent years in the Realm, and was used to unpleasant surprises. But he was totally unprepared for what he saw: just two colours - brown and orange - in the form of huge, smooth brown cliffs and bubbling, hot orange lava.

That was all.

Fortunately, his reflexes had also improved. He was standing in an instant, backing away from the lava flow as far as he could, away from the heat and that horrible, orange glow. Then he screwed his eyes tight shut, and waited.

Minutes passed.

_It's just a dream, it's just a dream. _(A pretty realistic dream) _OK, a pretty realistic dream_. (A very realistic dream) _OK. So maybe I'd go as far as a very realistic dream._ _But it's not real, that's the important point. It's still a dream. _(Are you sure?) _Of course I'm sure! I can tell a dumb dream when I see one! _(Are you really sure?) _Yes! _(Really, really?) _Yes! _(Definitely certain?) _YES! DAMNIT YES! _(Well…you'd better take another look, just to check) _Is that a good idea? I'd much rather just wake up. _(But you'd better just take a look, just to be safe) _Safe? Safe from what? I wanna wake up! _(Look see if it's gone) _Yes, I suppose I should just check..._ (What are you waiting for?) _Wouldn't you like to check first? _(But I am you) _Oh, yes. We could check together? _(I'd much rather wait here) _Great! That's real helpful! _(But you still haven't checked) _I know. I should. _(Yes) _I definitely should. _(Yes) _I will._

Pressed against the cliff, he braced himself, and opened his eyes a fraction.

Yes, the orange lava was still there. _Don't panic._

Yes, the brown cliff was still there. (No, don't panic!)

Yes, there was still no way out. _I'm not going to panic. Panic is bad. Panic is bad._

He closed his eyes again and waited for a few seconds. Then he opened them again, wider this time.

Mindril was gone. (Remember, no panicking)

The tavern was gone._ I'm not going to panic._

His friends were gone. (Uh-oh)

He closed his eyes, and realised he was shaking, and taking short, rasping breaths. He didn't move for a short while. Then once again, the Magician opened his eyes and looked round, trying to concentrate on taking in enough air rather than what he could see. He licked his dry lips.

He was at the bottom of a gully of smooth brown rock. A few meters away there was a bubbling river of lava, flowing right to left. He could see the heat shimmering off its surface. _There's something familiar about this place, Presto, ol' buddy _(Yes, something very familiar)

He looked round again, and saw other colours. He could see the green of his robe. Far to his right he could make out a huge, black range of mountains.

'There is something real familiar about this place,' he said out loud. He had definitely been here before. 'It's like being inside a memory or something.'

It was enough to give him more confidence. He was sure he'd been here before.

'It must be a dream,' he told himself. 'But where the heck is this place?'

He looked to the left. There was a narrow ledge between the lava and the cliff; it seemed to go on for a good distance. Perhaps if he went along there he could get a better idea of what was going on.

'Maybe it'll change into gym class round the corner,' he said with a squint smile. 'Then at least I'll know what's gonna happen!'

His hand tightened in determination, and he felt a sudden pain. Looking down at his hand, he saw a burn across his knuckles and realised there was something else was wrong. His glasses were still on his nose, but there was a large crack in one of the lenses. Not only that, there was a big, red smudge over it. He reached up to his face, felt blood running down his cheek.

But there was something in his hand. His Hat! He still had his Hat! It was still in his hand. He gave a loud sigh.

'Thank goodness! Am I ever glad to see you,' the Magician told his Hat.

Instinctively, he waved his fingers over it. But nothing happened. No friendly green glow, no magic, no bits of useless junk. He tried again, but still nothing happened.

Presto shuddered, grasping the warm wall to keep upright. He had felt afraid before; how many times had he been afraid since they came to the Realm? But this was a new kind of fear. And with it came a new kind of panic, a panic beyond that of even Eric faced with an Orc army.

The equation was terribly simple: "Alone No weapon No chance of surviving."

He stood there, immobile, watching as the lava flowed past him, desperately trying to keep breathing. What if this wasn't a dream? All his senses kept trying to tell him what his mind didn't want to hear. This was real! He really was standing near a river of lava at the base of a cliff, with no way out and no magic Hat!

The words he'd though earlier came back to him. _One of these days, their luck was going to run out, and then not even Dungeonmaster would be able to help._

Was this it? Was the game over?

_No! _he thought suddenly. It couldn't end like this! He couldn't let it end like this, no way! He was alone, that was true, but he's been alone before. Everyone had been alone before. They had all survived; they had all known the others were out there, somewhere, trying to help. It was the same now. He had to keep that thought in his mind.

All he had to do was keep going. Hank wouldn't give up on him. Hank wouldn't let the group fall apart. They would be searching, he knew they would be. The thought of his friends searching for him tipped the balance. He had to get out, somehow.

'C-c'mon, Hat,' he said shakily. 'L-let's go find the others.'

Keeping his back to the wall, Presto inched along the ledge. It was a huge risk. He had no idea if there even was a way out, but he couldn't give up! Hank wouldn't give up, no way! The girls wouldn't give up, Bobby wouldn't, Eric…well, Eric probably would, at least for a while. Presto smiled. It was a good job the ol' Cavalier wasn't here. Trapped inside his steel armour, he'd roast for sure!

The Magician tried to think of a happy memory, a good one, not of his home or family, but of his friends: like the time they went to Tardos, or had stayed with Rahmoud, or when they met Varla.

At the thought of the Illusionist, Presto gave a goofy grin. There it was again, that wonderful floaty feeling he got whenever he thought about her. When would he see her again? The thought of seeing Varla again helped him keep going.

The Magician went about a hundred feet along the ledge and was close to a corner, so he stopped, feeling pleased. The magic-free Hat was still scrunched up in his hand. He gave it a quick wave.

'So, you're still not working?' he asked it.

He looked carefully at the weapon. Why was there no magic? Was it this place, did magic not work here? Or did the Hat need a recharge again? It was such an awkward weapon, and even after all their time in the Realm, he still didn't understand it; perhaps he never would. He moved on, unable to decide what was wrong.

The ledge got narrower. It was unbearably hot now. Sweat ran into his eyes and he could feel the tickle of heat all over his body. Very soon, it felt like he'd been swimming.

'Gee, I never wanna a hot bath again!' he murmured. 'And I'd kill for a glass of water!'

His eyes were dry from the heat, and his nose burned as if he'd tried to inhale his chemistry set again. He was looking down almost all the time, making sure his feet were secure on the ledge and that he was as far away from the lava as possible.

The Magician stopped again, coughing. Looking back, he couldn't see more than fifty feet or so. He was round the corner, but how long it had taken him, he couldn't guess. He wiped the sweat out of his eyes then took a quick peek ahead.

The cliffs seemed to be getting lower. A few hundred feet ahead they seemed almost climbable! The ledge got wider eventually, but there was a small stream of lava that cut across his path not far ahead. It was barely a foot across, but was glowing a bright yellow. The air shimmered ominously above it.

Presto would have gulped but his mouth was too dry. He'd come so far, too far just to be stopped by a little stream. He would have to jump it, but it looked dangerous: very, very, very dangerous!

He looked at the Hat, not even bothering to wave over it.

'You don't feel like producing a pair of wings, do you?' he asked it. 'No? Didn't think so.'

What was he gonna do? _What would Hank do, if he were here? _thought Presto. He had a sudden image of the Ranger, carrying Sheila in his arms, boldly striding over the lava as if it was just a little mud. Presto smiled. _Yes, that's just what Hank would do! _And he could imagine Bobby the Barbarian there too, saying "Aw, c'mon Presto! It's easy!" Diana would have already jumped it and be running off to see what was round the corner. Eric would be cowering at the back, complaining about the hot air, urging him just to get on with it so they could get outta this dumb place.

That was the best advice: Just get on with it so he could get out. Don't think about it, do it!

He took a deep breath, hoisted his robes and ran, not stopping to think about how crazy the whole idea was.

It was over in an instant. A pulse of unbearable heat and pain, then he was on the far side, on his knees, panting. He looked back, his throat painfully dry. _I did it!_ (YOU DID IT!) _I really made it! _(You sure did! Way to go, Presto!) Grinning, he pushed himself standing and took a good look around. No, there was no mistake.

'Woo-who!' he shouted suddenly. 'I did it! I DID IT!'

(You're on fire!)

He looked down at his robes, the hem was smouldering and there was a small fleck of flame.

'Ahh! AHHH!' he shouted, whacking it with his Hat. 'Fire!'

He whacked it for a minute, until he was sure it was out then looked at the Hat. It was OK too.

'Phew, that was a close one!' he said to the limp Hat in his hand. The wild rush of adrenaline and elation hadn't gone, and the Magician quickly looked round again. On this side of the stream, the ledge was a lot wider, much wider than it'd looked. There was a clear path onwards, and the cliffs seemed to get lower too. This was gonna be easy!

With the hem on his robes still charred and smoking, he marched off as fast as he could, feeling like he could do anything. It was a wonderful sensation, and it carried him forward for another hour.

All the time, the ledge got slowly wider and the cliffs lower.

Finally, Presto rounded a corner and stopped dead in surprise. It was like something he'd seen in his imagination.

In front was a huge lava lake with low, brown cliffs all around. Curls of steam and smoke lifted off its surface. Bubbles of molten rock burst erratically, sending puffs of sulphur into the air. The smell was terrible. Close by was the dark entrance to a tunnel, and wafts of fresh, cold air blew in.

But the tunnel didn't hold his attention. Not far from the pool's edge there was a stone: A big, rectangular stone.

He looked around anxiously, memory flickering on the edge of his consciousness. More than ever, he knew there was something disturbingly familiar about this place. But where? It was more like he'd imagined it, or been told about it than seen it before. He almost recognised it.

He walked up to the giant monolith, and touched it gingerly. It was smooth metal not stone with a number of strange markings along the bottom. He tapped it gingerly with a nail. It was hollow, like a gong.

_A gong?_

Now he'd definitely heard of that before…Diana had said something… When? Where? _C'mon brain, remember!_

His brain was still working, and the word 'gong' brought the memory back into proper focus.

'O-oh. N-no!' he stammered.

Presto looked around again, suddenly much more afraid. How had this happened? Was he dead?

Why was he back in the Underworld?


	2. Wakeup Call

Chapter 2

Wakeup Call

'This isn't right,' murmured Presto, looking around. 'What am I doing back here again?'

The Underworld. It was just as Diana had described it, he could remember it clearly. They were sitting on the grass, after No-Name had gone, trying to get the terrible memory of that evil creature out of their minds…

_Sheila had her arm round Bobby._

_'That was such a creepy place,' she said. 'Those Fire things were horrid! Do you think Venger rang that gong deliberately, Hank?'_

_The Ranger nodded._

_'I bet he did!' said Hank bitterly._

_'What gong?' interrupted Presto. 'I was stuck on that stupid cliff, remember. What happened?'_

_'There was this big lava pool,' said Diana. 'With a rectangular gong. Venger made it ring, you know, like in King Kong: a dinner gong!' She glanced at Hank. 'Then six giant salamanders appeared outta nowhere.'_

_'What happened after we left?' Hank asked her._

_The Acrobat smiled confidently. _

_'Those salamanders didn't scare me! I fought those guys off with a branch, but it was a good job Dungeonmaster rescued me just in time…'_

'This can't be right,' said Presto. 'I can't be back here!'

He looked around again at the pool of lava and the giant metal gong next to him. There was no mistaking it. This really was the Underworld.

'But this must be where those Salamanders were,' he said quietly. 'Aw, man, how did we get back here?'

Screwing up his face, he tried to remember what he'd done. Yes, he'd done that dumb spell, _'You know, we're lucky to have each other. Abra-ca-dabra, abra-ca-dember, do something that we can remember!' _That wasn't enough to send them all back to the Underworld? It had taken the combined powers of Dungeonmaster and all the weapons to do that last time! No way his Hat could be powerful enough to do that. _Could it?_ (Are you sure?)

Presto looked down to the weapon once again. It wasn't powerful enough; it couldn't have done this, no way! The insidious panic of earlier had become so familiar that he barely noticed it. He had to be wrong.

'Aw, I don't understand,' he said angrily. 'Dumb Hat! What have you gone and done?'

Suddenly, there was a deep shuddering through the ground. The lava in the pool sloshed around and Presto backed away from the edge. This wasn't a good place to stay! And if he was back in the Underworld, the others should be around here somewhere then he'd just have to look for them! He trotted briskly back to the tunnel entrance, clutching his Hat.

'I sure wish you were working!' he told it. 'And I sure wish the others were here too!'

He stopped and gingerly rubbed his aching eyes. The tunnel was dark compared to the eerie orange glow by the pool. It looked dangerous. _What isn't dangerous in the dumb place?_

'Guys?' he called tentatively. 'Ya down there? Hank? Sheila?'

Behind him there was another slosh of lava. He turned. Was that a pair of yellow horns he could see poking out of the pool? _It's time to go, Presto!_ Was that another pair… and a big, black tail? (Make like a Cavalier and run, run, RUN!)

He darted into the tunnel at top speed.

Now, running was not Presto's strong point. His enforced turn as the Acrobat was one of the most unpleasant experiences he'd had in the Realm; Hank had done a better job as Barbarian than he had being the Acrobat! Now Diana, she was good at this sorta thing, but he just wasn't designed to run. That was a well-known and straightforward fact. Running was not good. Running was not good in a thick, heavy robes either. And running in a thick, heavy robe in the hottest place in the Realm, when you've had nothing to drink for hours was just dumb.

The Magician eventually stumbled to a halt, panting. The one side of his face was sore, as if he'd spend all day in the sun. His mouth and throat were the driest he'd ever felt and his head was pounding as well.

_I've never been so thirsty_, he thought. _There has to be some water somewhere._

The tunnel had ended. Before him there was a dry, undulating range of black basalt hills, all covered with a thin layer of ash. Presto coughed. At least the smell of sulphur was less down here.

_But where are the guys?_

The Magician looked around again. He was low down in a dip between ash hills. But, perhaps, from the top of one of those low hills, he would get a better view; maybe he'd even catch a glimpse of the others. OK, so it was dark. Hank and Diana wouldn't be very easy to spot, but Sheila's lilac Cloak would, and so would Eric's yellow armour.

At the crest of the first hill, he stopped, still panting. His head was starting to thump.

Presto looked around for a few minutes, the crack in his glasses making it difficult to make out details. Eventually, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of colour, the tiniest glint from one of the hillocks. Not having a better plan, Presto slid unsteadily down the ash cone and headed towards it.

It was a tall hill, possibly the tallest, and he was climbing very slowly. But when he was only a few feet from the top Presto looked up again. Nearby there was a neat mound of stones just above him, but it wasn't that which caught his attention. It was the clear glint of yellow and white from the top of it.

He pulled himself up faster, his heart thumping suddenly. He knew that colour, and he knew that shape. He clambered closer. _Oh, no…this wasn't happening…_

It was Eric's Shield, all mashed and twisted, looking like it had been run over by a dump truck. Presto ran his fingers over its surface; there was no magic in there either.

This was just too odd! There was no way the Cavalier would give up the Shield, even if it wasn't working right. He loved that Shield. He polished it every night. He petted it occasionally when he thought the others weren't watching. There was no was on earth that Eric would leave it anywhere!

Presto picked it up, still looking in confusion at its scraped surface. He turned it over. The back was covered in rich, brown stains. _Dried blood…A lot of dry blood…Too much…_

Understanding and nausea rushed through him simultaneously. There was only one explanation. Presto didn't move, his hand still resting on the broken Shield and a fat tear rolled down his face. That couldn't be right. Eric couldn't be…

'What's happened?' he whispered. 'What's gone wrong?'

There was a noise behind him, and Presto turned, not even bothering to hide his sorrow. He could see a figure in the gloom, almost catlike, lithe and ready to pounce. It walked up to him slowly, and as it moved Presto felt a hint of recognition. He'd seen someone who walked like that, he knew someone who moved like that. The figure took another step forward.

She'd lost the red band across her forehead, and her hair was tied back, not bunched at the sides like a life preserver. Her arms were covered in shallow cuts. But he recognised the furs and the gold armbands, even before he saw her face. He almost stopped breathing in surprise.

'D-Diana?' Presto asked timidly. 'Is that really you?'

The girl frowned. When she spoke, her voice was just a whisper.

'Presto?'

He nodded, too numb and surprised to do much else. They stared at each other for a few seconds before the Magician was able to form a whole sentence.

'What's ha…'

The rest of the question was muffled as she flew forward and enveloped him in a fierce hug. She didn't say anything. He couldn't hold on to a coherent thought and he just held her, grateful for the comfort, feeling her tears leak into his robes. Minutes later, her grip lessened, and she looked up.

'I searched for you,' she said. 'I tried to find you, but the Underworld is so big…I thought I'd lost you too.' She sniffed. 'How did you survive?'

Presto shrugged, the confusion and fear returning in erratic surges. _Don't panic, what ever you do, don't panic! There is a reasonable explanation._

'I don't know…We all did. At least I thought we did. I don't understand.' He looked at her carefully. She had said "the Underworld". He had been right. They were back. 'Diana, why are we back here?'

She frowned at him.

'Back? We've been here since…He came.'

Presto shuddered. Was that the "He" he thought she meant? Was that the "He" that came at the call of the Box of Balefire? Thinking about the Box naturally made Presto think of the Cavalier again. He glanced at the Shield, his heart sinking. He knew the answer before he even asked.

'Is…he…?'

Diana nodded, her top lip trembling.

'Yes. Eric's dead. C-crushed by the worm that lives in the tower. I found his Shield.'

'Are you sure?' Presto whispered. This had to be wrong. This could NOT be happening!

Diana nodded.

'I-I saw him…after,' she mumbled, blinking away more tears. 'But I couldn't find the others.' She looked up eagerly into his face. 'But if you survived, then maybe they did too.'

Presto's head was spinning. He couldn't comprehend what was going on. They were in the Underworld, the others were missing, and Eric was dead! This was wrong. He knew it. Eric wasn't supposed to be dead.

'Diana,' he said. 'We all did. We were all OK. ' The Acrobat frowned more deeply as Presto tried to explain. 'We met Joseph, and Lorne. We went to Recadia and Mindril. We defeated the Darkling and spent the night in Mindril. We were all fine!' Presto took a long slow breath. 'It's not supposed to be like this! I remember. I was holding on to the cliff, and I fell. Then…' _What happened next? C'mon, what happened next?_ 'Then I was with Dungeonmaster. Yes! There was a big crystal cave, and a pool of shiny magic. The others were there too; you were there. Dungeonmaster brought us there! We went back to the surface, but No-Name had gone!'

Diana shook her head slowly, looking at him as if he'd gone mad.

'I was left fighting the salamanders by the pool,' she said. 'And the others went on ahead with Dungeonmaster. But there were too many of them and my branch was almost gone. I had my back against the wall and they were advancing. I turned to climb.' She smiled thinly. 'They aren't much good at that with no legs, and it got very cold, very quickly. They didn't follow.'

She closed her eyes, a line of tears on her cheek.

'Then there was an awful crash from the tower nearby. A voice shouted "I HAVE IT! IT IS MINE THIS TIME!". The ground shook and the salamanders fled back to the lava. When it stopped. I climbed back down. I've been here ever since.'

Presto stared at her.

'How long?'

'I'm not sure. Days, maybe weeks. There's no night or day.' Tears started in her eyes again. 'And no stars.'

Presto shook his head. 'No, you couldn't have been. It's not possible. IT'S NOT!

Dungeonmaster saved us. He saved us all just in time and…' Presto trailed off, his voice breaking. What had he asked the Hat to do?

'You know, we're lucky to have each other. Abra-ca-dabra, abra-ca-dember, do something that we can remember!'

'Oh, oh no,' he whispered. 'It couldn't have done all this!'

I think it did, you know. I really think it did! (Could it?) 

He'd been vague, yeah, but was an odd turn of phrase really enough to rewrite history? He'd been vague before, and nothing like this had happened! The Hat wasn't that powerful. _It wasn't._ IT WASN'T! (Umm…)

'Do something that we can remember…' he murmured, ignoring the stare Diana gave him. 'Well, we all could remember this trip!'

No matter how close they'd come to defeat against the Darkling, this was the fight that they could never forget. That, along with Dungeonmaster's final warning: _until he returns_…

The Nameless Evil was always at the back of their minds. Eric had opened the Box of Balefire, and technically Hank had "let" him, but that was a difficult point: they all knew Eric would have done it anyway. In the original history, the Cavalier had paid dearly for his curiosity; he'd been tricked by No-Name into believing his friends were better off without him and, after a few weeks of grumbling and sniping at them, had the misfortune to meet the evil Warlock.

Presto shivered, fighting back tears. In this new history, Eric had paid the ultimate price. He was dead.

Diana was watching him, suspicion all over her face. Suddenly he grabbed her arms searching her eyes.

'This is all wrong, Diana. You have to trust me! It's not supposed to happen, it's not supposed to be like this!'

The Acrobat was taking short, shallow gulps of air.

'I-if it's n-not,' she stammered, 'w-what's happened? Why?'

Presto released her, looking out across the ash plain. His mind was fuzzy and he could hardly think, but he knew this was dead wrong.

_The Hat_. It was the only explanation.

'It was a spell,' he said, his voice shaking. 'Somehow, it's changed the past. Instead of doing something to make us all happy, it's gone and changed the past, so we're not together anymore.' _Do something that we can remember..._ 'It's my fault. My dumb spell, I didn't… mean… to.'

Presto stopped, shaken and cold to the core. It was his fault. He could hardly concentrate on what the Acrobat was saying.

'The Hat somehow changed history,' said Diana fearfully, 'and Dungeonmaster reached the magic first instead?'

The Magician forced himself to remember those few minutes after Dungeonmaster had rescued them. Who else was there, instead of Dungeonmaster? Who else could it have been? There was only one option…_Venger!_

'Venger,' said the Magician quietly, growing paler by the second. 'I let Venger win.'

'Presto, no. It's not…' said Diana.

'Yes!' shouted Presto hoarsely. 'I did this! It's my fault!'

'You can't think like that, Presto! The Hat's never done anything like this before.'

'It has!' hissed Presto, sick to his soul. 'It spelled you to the dumb Giant's castle, it's done loads of dumb stuff! I can never get it to do what I want! I never manage to control it the way I want! And now I've… I've killed him.'

'No, Presto…' started Diana.

'I killed him,' said the Magician, trying no to cry. 'I let Venger win. This is my fault.' _Oh God, what about the others? Hank, Sheila, Bobby._ 'And the others…'

The sentence hung unfinished in the air. The Magician was shaking. He wanted the ground to open up and swallow him. Suddenly, Diana gripped his arm.

'Presto, please don't give up. I've only just found you, please, don't give up. Please, don't leave me.'

The instant those words were out, another memory struck Presto, as clear as the day it happened. _The Temple of Light, she was looking upwards to the burning figure… "Kosar, d-don't leave me!"_

He looked back at her, sitting next to him with a tear-streaked face. She'd survive here, for who knows how long. They were friends; they were family. A cold thrill of fear passed through the Magician. There was only one way to help.

'I have to change it back,' he said thickly. 'I'm gonna put it back the way it was.'

'But how? Our weapons don't work.'

Presto looked around desperately, stuck for inspiration. All he could see was the vast black plain of ash, framed by the huge black hill beyond. It was the darkest and most terrible place he'd ever seen. He didn't want to be stuck here forever.

'I'll recharge the Hat,' he said suddenly. 'I'll take it to the Dungeon at the Heart of Dawn, and recharge it like Dungeonmaster said. Then I can cast a spell that will put everything back the way it was, the way it should be.'

Diana shook her head.

'That won't work. There's no way to get to the Dungeon at the Heart of Dawn now. The worm in the tower smashed the only way in.' Her hand moved across to touch the Shield again.

Presto felt light-headed and sick. There was a pounding pain across his temples and he had difficulty seeing straight.

'We have to Diana. This wasn't supposed to happen! Somehow, we have to change it back!' He took a long breath of air, ignoring the foul smell and the burning in his throat. It was their only choice.

'C'mon, Diana,' he said. 'We have to try!'

The Acrobat nodded, but didn't look convinced. It worried him. Diana was usually the last one to give up.

'I mean, how hard can it be?' he added.

The mournful way that the girl looked up at him was enough to make him wish he hadn't said anything. After all, she was the one who'd survived here. She was the one who was likely to know what could, or couldn't, be done.

He stood up abruptly, ready for anything, trying to show her how confident he was. But his head started to spin before his legs were even straight. The ground was coming close again. _Why was it moving so fast?_ (Er, Presto, I think…)

* * *

_'It's OK, he should be fine.' 'You are fortunate we found you.' 'I never got the chance to tell him.' 'Give him some more water.' 'Tell us all you can.' _

Presto could hear the familiar voices but couldn't respond. They were talking about him. He tried to sit up, but hands forced him to stay still. He opened his eyes, but it was all a big blur.

'Take it easy, Presto,' said Diana's voice. 'Rest. You're in a hideout. We're safe for the moment.'

The Magician let his eyes close. He trusted Diana, and liked the sound of that word.

'Safe,' he mumbled. 'Still one of the best words.'

Someone ran their hand across his cheek.

'Rest.'

He slowly let himself sink back into the cooling darkness, voices and sounds blurring on the edge of his consciousness. He dozed, aware of the voices talking, and catching snippets of their conversation.

_'Do you think it's true?' 'Do you believe him?' 'He mentioned you.' …_

_'Can we help?' 'What else can we do?' …_

_'There is so little time.' 'I sense it is the truth.' …_

_'The others?' 'They'll try and stop him.' …_

_'Does it matter now? He must be dead.'_

The word "dead" snapped Presto out of his doze. _Hank! Eric! _With a strangled cry, he woke properly, and sat bolt upright and looked round at the dark, blurry shadows. Acting on instinct, he groped beside him for his glasses and was relieved to find them sitting close to his head. Fumbling, he put them on and looked around again.

He wasn't on the ash plain any more, he was in a small cave made of dark grey stone and it was cooler and dark. He was feeling much better, his head had stopped thumping and he was a reasonable temperature again. There was a small flask of water beside him, and he took a quick sip, then another, then a big gulp, suddenly very thirsty.

There was movement at the cave entrance. Three people were approaching, led by Diana. But the Acrobat didn't hold his attention, the tall man behind did, and it was a good job Presto was already sitting down, or he would have fainted again.

Frightened, the Magician pushed himself back against the wall unable to look away, his eyes widening. Blue chainmail, yellow breast-plate, red cloak fastened at the neck by two rosettes. Presto chocked back a cry, his mouth hanging slightly open. For a second, he thought it was Eric.

An instant later, he knew he was wrong. The man was taller; he didn't have the Cavalier's slim build and narrow waist, and his hair was brown not black. But the Magician still recognised him: Dekkion, the last of the Celestial Knights.

His helmet was gone, but the Sword hung by his side. Presto shivered. He'd never noticed before how similar the Knight's uniform was to the Cavalier's armour. Then he noticed blood on the blue chainmail, and how exhausted the man looked.

Presto continued to stare at Dekkion as he sat on the ground close by.

'Greeting, my friend,' said the Knight, holding out his gauntleted hand. Presto gripped it nervously. That voice, it always seemed strange. It had suited the skeleton, but seemed too deep for such a youthful man. 'Diana has told us your tale.'

_Us? _There had been a third person in the group. Presto looked up. Just behind Dekkion, Diana stood looking nervously down at both of them and just behind her was another man. No, not a man: nothing more than a boy. And again, Presto recognised him.

The Magician gasped. _That's Lorne!_

Dekkion followed Presto's stare.

'This is another friend. He's…'

'Lorne!' said Presto with a smile. 'How did you get here?'

The young boy stared in astonishment.

'We've never met!' he said slowly, looking at Diana for reassurance. 'I don't know you.'

'No way, Lorne,' said the Magician. 'We found you and the dumb Stone of Astra! You must remember, you and Eric were…'

Presto stopped. The Cavalier was dead. It had all been changed. Lorne looked at Presto curiously.

'I don't have the Stone of Astra anymore,' he said with a hint of a sigh. 'A wizard called Korlock stole it.'

'How did you get here?' murmured Presto, looking between Lorne and the Knight. 'How did either of you get here?'

Dekkion patted the Sword by his side.

'I had enough magic in this weapon to flee the defilements of the Demon above. Young Lorne was saved by the Stone, and it brought him here. But the Wizard Korlock followed him and stole it, then fled to another Plane.'

In spite of his confusion, Presto nodded. This was getting too weird. 'Who am I gonna meet next?' he muttered. 'Strongheart? Karena?'

Dekkion and Lorne exchanged glances, then the Knight shook his head.

'The Lady in the Mountain is gone, the Demon was sure to destroy all of the family.'

Presto let a rare sneer creep over his face and snorted.

'Typical of Venger!' he said in disgust.

Dekkion glanced towards the Acrobat, then looked back at Presto in genuine surprise.

'No, Magician, you are mistaken. It is not Venger who rules the Realm with a fist of iron.'

Presto stared back.

'But there was no one else, no one but …'

Dekkion nodded, as if to encourage Presto to finish the sentence. _Who else came to the Underworld? Not Dungeonmaster, not the gang, and not Venger? Who was left?_

'Um…there was only Shadow Demon.'

Dekkion's face grew hard, and he nodded.

'Yes. The Demon of the Shadows rules the Realm.'


	3. Fire, Water

Chapter 3

Fire and Water.

It took Presto a long number of seconds to recover. Shadow Demon? Ruling the Realm? This HAD to be a joke! He opened his mouth to tell them what a dumb the idea it was, but Dekkion silenced him with a look.

'No, Magician. I do not lie. The Demon of the Shadow rules with an iron hand, and the Realm has become a terrible place. You are fortunate never to have been there!'

Presto looked at Lorne for confirmation, and the young boy nodded.

'I saw it with my own eyes,' he said quietly. There was a look of utter revulsion on the boy's face.

'Tell me,' whispered Presto, suddenly sick with guilt.

'Magician, I do not think that you should know…'

'Tell me,' repeated Presto firmly. 'All of it. You have to. Tell me what it's like.' _Tell me what I've done._

The Knight was quiet for a few seconds, his head bowed. When he spoke, his voice shook with restrained emotion.

'The Demon of the Shadows has destroyed all the places where light and hope could hide. Without a Dungeonmaster to keep the balance of power, the Realm was doomed.' He took a deep breath. 'All the great cities of the Realm are gone. Tardos Keep was one of the last to fall. But before it went the Cityport of Kilan. And Hadorin, Helix and Granton. Also Amoran, Amulree and Mindril. Serad and Torad, Enuma, Zinn, Recadia, Anshar and Kishar.' He turned to look at Presto with a terrible compassion in his eyes. 'But first in the line of conquests was Kadish. The King of many Kings, Rahmoud, is dead.'

The Knight fell silent, bowing his head once more. Then he looked back at the Magician.

'And I have seen the Tomb of the young Cavalier. I am sorry, my friend.'

Presto gulped, fighting back tears again. _What have I done? The Realm, the whole Realm destroyed…Mindril…Kadish…Rahmoud…Varla…_ Presto let out a choked sob and Dekkion put a hand on his shoulder, gripping it firmly.

'The brave Acrobat has told me your story, Magician. And I believe you spoke the truth.'

Presto's heart lurched again. _He knows. They all do_. (They know what the Hat's done)_ They know what I made the Hat do._

He didn't know which was worse, the kind smile on Dekkion's face, the aloof look on Lorne's or the terrible knowledge inside him. His magic had done this; he never knew it had the power to do this sorta thing. He had never really thought about it, but now his magic had destroyed all these lives and all these cities and all those people…_Varla…_

'I know of your plan,' continued Dekkion, 'and I can help.'

For the first time in what seemed like forever, Presto almost smiled. Yes, the Hat! It was the only chance! He suddenly realised what he was thinking. _The Hat? The only chance?_ (We are SO completely screwed, Presto!)

Then Diana spoke.

'But how are we gonna find a way to the Inner Circle?' she asked. 'The was in was destroyed.'

'There is another way,' replied the Knight. 'It is not an easy path to tread, but together we may succeed.' Dekkion looked that them, fear on his face. It was not a sight that filled the Magician with confidence. This was a Celestial Knight, not Eric the Cavalier. Celestial Knights weren't supposed to do scared!

'This is the Underworld,' continued Dekkion, 'the ultimate source of the Power of the Realm. Here are kept all five Elements of the Realm: Fire, Water, Earth, Air and Magic. In each Plane there is an entrance to the centre, where the Dungeon at the Heart of Dawn resides.' Presto and Diana looked at each other in surprise. There was another way in! 'This is the Plane of Fire. Beyond the mountains lies the Plane of Water.' But, my friends, I fear we will find more than Water Elementals there.'

'Who, or what, else is there?' asked Diana uneasily.

'There will be others, some who have fled the Demon above and some who now live to do his bidding. It will be a very dangerous road. But I will lead you, right to the very centre, if you wish.'

There was no need to check with Diana, so the Magician nodded readily. The thought of doing this alone was not appealing.

'And I'm going too,' said Lorne suddenly. When Dekkion looked at the boy in surprise, he added: 'Korlock went that way!'

The Knight shook his head.

'You are better without that accursed Stone.'

Lorne gave a sneer, reminding Presto of the Cavalier. He winced as a sharp pang of regret and remorse passed through him. _And what about the others…?_

'It's mine,' Lorne hissed back at the Knight. 'And I'm gonna get it back!'

Dekkion didn't reply, but it was obvious that he didn't approve. But Lorne didn't seem to care.

'So, when do we go?' the young boy asked.

'We must find supplies here,' said Dekkion, still looking reproachfully at Lorne. 'We will leave in a few hours.'

He stood, towering above the Acrobat and the young boy.

'Rest now, Magician. Soon, we will return.'

With a slight nod, Dekkion walked out, Lorne following him out of the cave. Diana waited for a few seconds then sat down beside Presto. He smiled uncertainly at the Acrobat, but she just put her head on his shoulder.

'Tell me what it was like,' she said wistfully. 'Tell me what we should have done.'

Presto shifted to get comfort, wondering what he should say.

He spoke about meeting the German pilot Joseph Mueller, finding Lorne and destroying the Stone of Astra; and then how Sheila had found and freed Karena, Venger's little sister. Then he told her how Eric had been tricked by the Nameless One and they'd all gotten swapped round by the Wish Imp's magic. Diana gave a low chuckle when Presto said he'd been turned into the Acrobat for a few days. He also told her about their last run in with Venger and how the Thief managed to get them free. Finally, he spoke of their most recent adventure against the Darkling, and how Martha had come to help.

The Magician fell silent. So many things had happened, so many things had been undone by his stupid spell. All those cities, destroyed. Rahmoud was dead. Their new friends from Earth were probably dead too. He sniffed. What had happened to their other friends? Where were Hank and Sheila, Bobby and Uni? Were they safe? Were they even alive?

'Do you think we'll find them?' he asked suddenly. There was no need to clarify the question for the Acrobat; she knew exactly who he meant.

Diana shook her head.

'I think they're gone,' she whispered back.

He slipped his arm across her shoulders, suddenly feeling terribly alone.

'I'll change it back. I promise.'

Neither of them spoke for a very long time.

* * *

'_C'mon, hurry up.'_

'_Yeah, yeah, yeah,' drawled the Cavalier, 'I'm on my way.'_

'_Er-ic, you haven't even moved yet!' shouted Bobby. 'We'll just leave you here.'_

'_Meay!' came the echo from Uni._

_There was a muffled snort from the Cavalier, and Presto was close enough to hear a mumbled "see if I care" from beneath the blanket._

'_Eric, get a move on!' said Hank sternly. 'We can't wait all day for you! Dungeonmaster told us to head for Mindril.'_

'_Maybe all these first watches have been too much for you,' suggested Sheila, giving the Cavalier's blanket a sly grin. _

_Eric poked his head out and scowled up at her._

'_Very funny!' he hissed, much more annoyed than he aught to have been. _

_Hank suddenly whipped the blanket off the distracted Cavalier._

'_Stop being so lazy!' said the Ranger. 'Presto, pass me that water bucket!'_

_Hank looked at him, directly at him. _

'_Presto? _Presto!_'_

Presto woke with a start. He was curled up under a dirty blanket, still in the cool, dark cave. Diana was gone. He reached up to straighten his glasses, trying to stop his hands from shaking. Dreaming of his friends hadn't made him forget what had happened, if anything, it made him feel even worse. This was like a nightmare he couldn't wake up from.

He thought about what he had to do: change it back. He had to, but a small part of him was beginning to wonder just how to do it. The Hat; even if it was recharged, there was no guarantee it was gonna work any better this time round. And, even if it did, what were the others gonna say when they found out what he'd done to them? They were never gonna trust him or the Hat again! Never, ever, ever.

There were quiet voices from the entrance of the cave, and he pushed himself to a standing position, feeling inexplicably sore. It was like the time he'd had measles, he felt terrible, weak and shaky. Not the sort of condition he needed to be in. _This is not gonna work, Presto!_ (But it has too!)

The Hat was still tucked into his belt, and Presto pulled it out. There was still no hint of magic about it; it was just a pointy, green hat. He was nothing without the Hat, and he couldn't even get that to do what he wanted. Relying on the Hat to save them was never a good idea, and this time he didn't even have a dumb riddle to help.

'I don't think this is gonna work,' he murmured, giving a little wave over the Hat. Nothing happened.

Lorne suddenly poked his head round the corner of the cave, making Presto jump.

'Sorry, Magician,' he said curtly. 'But it's time to go.'

Presto walked unsteadily forward, keeping hold of the rock wall. He looked at Lorne. What had happened to the lively, sharp-witted boy he'd met? This was a different Lorne, melancholy and hard-hearted. He was looking at Presto with a suspicious air.

'Hi, Lorne,' ventured Presto.

The boy turned away without replying, not that Presto could blame him. This was all his fault. Lorne shouldn't be stuck in this awful place, he should be with the Gypsy family that adopted him. It was just another life he'd destroyed by the stupid spell: his stupid spell from his stupid Hat.

The Magician shivered again, despite being hot and his hand tightened round the useless Hat. _What was he without it?_

The others, they were waiting for him by the cave entrance. The Acrobat and the Knight carried small packs as well as a flask of water each. Lorne held two flasks, and handed one to the Magician.

Presto took it, but even though he was still thirsty, he didn't drink. The others were all watching him.

'So, Magician,' said Dekkion after a moments silence. 'Are you ready?'

A small part of Presto was aching to say "No", but now was not the time for quick quips. They had a job to do. Instead, he nodded.

Dekkion turned and walked forward, Lorne following close behind. Diana gave Presto a quick smile then moved too. For a few seconds, Presto just stayed still, taking short, shallow breaths. This was it. There was no other way back. Gathering up the last shreds of his courage, he pulled on the Hat and followed the others out.

The four of them left the caves and went out into the ash plane. They climbed up high over one of the cones, following Dekkion's lead. Presto paused, looking back across the dull ash and caught a quick glimmer of yellow and white from far behind them. He shivered again.

No one talked, as the Knight set a brisk pace. The Acrobat walked beside Presto for the whole time, as if she was his self-appointed bodyguard. They crossed the ash mounds, but Presto was unable to tell how long it had taken them. Just as Diana had told him, there were no days or nights, no suns or moons, just the never-ending pale sky above. When he mentioned it to Lorne, the boy just shrugged as if he'd seen it all before.

Eventually the ash plain ended and the landscape started to slope monotonously upwards. They started to see the occasional shallow pit in the otherwise smooth rock.

'These are flame pits,' Dekkion told them. 'We must get past as quickly as we can, but we must not be seen.'

Presto was about to ask why, when he saw the reason. Salamanders and fire snakes were frolicking in the flames, looking like they were having a wonderful time. From what he knew about those creatures, they wouldn't like to be disturbed.

They crept past, one by one, trying not to be seen. Presto was shaking. Those evil creatures would like nothing more than to catch them and roast them. But the Elementals were to busy playing in the fire to notice the Magician and his friends and they passed safely to the cooler hills beyond.

Time was distorted in this strange place. Two hours or twenty hours or maybe two hundred hours after they had started, they reached the mountains and began to climb.

Their brisk pace slackened. Diana had deliberately slowed, and was walking beside Dekkion at the back of the group. The Knight seemed to be struggling with the uphill walk, and was breathing heavily. But he refused to rest, saying it was too dangerous to stop yet.

Now that they had enough breath, Lorne started talking to Presto, asking him about the life in the Realm, what Presto had taken to calling "real" life. Then he asked about the Cavalier.

'You got on great with him,' the Magician replied with a heavy heart, 'just like a brother.'

Lorne smiled.

'It must be nice to have a family. I don't really remember mine.'

Presto nodded. Lorne was an orphan.

'Eric hated climbing,' continued the Magician. 'He had all this armour, see, like Dekkion and there was nothing he hated more than having to climb mountains in it.'

Presto flicked a glance back at Dekkion. The Knight was still having problems.

Lorne gave an affable smirk, a glimpse of the old Lorne showing through.

'The old man just can't take the pace!' he said.

The Magician grinned back, happy for a fraction of a second until he remembered.

Presto was a sociable soul, he liked other people around to talk to. But the companionship of Lorne only reminded him of his friends. He missed them. He longed to hear the cocky comments from Bobby, or the scathing put-downs from Eric. He longed to see the comforting smile from Sheila, or the proud, brotherly grin from Hank.

The Magician had a deep uncomfortable ache inside. He never knew just how much those guys had meant to him. It was up to him to set this all straight, to put things right. And that thought didn't fill him with confidence. They had relied on him in the past, and what had happened? Giants and Slimebeasts, danger and near-death experiences: not good at all!

And there was still the unresolved question of how was he gonna get the Hat to cooperate, even if he did get it recharged. What was he going to say? If a slight slip in phrasing had caused all this, then what guarantee did he had that he would make things better, not worse? That thought did nothing to make the climb any easier.

Soon the gentle slope of the hillside was replaced by warm rocks for them to clamber over, but they didn't stop. It was a hard climb, and the Knight never let them rest for more than a few minutes at a time. When they reached the top and crossed the divide, what Dekkion called "the ridge", everything suddenly changed.

Ahead, looking down to the Plane below, all Presto could see was blue and green and there was the distinct, clean smell of fresh water. There was a huge, calm lake at the bottom of the mountain; a very long way down.

The descent was made all the more treacherous by the weakness through his body. Presto had long since finished his flask of water, and he was getting more exhausted by the second.

How long was it since they'd left the caves? Hours? Days? Weeks? He had no idea. Why couldn't they have some night? When were they going to get a chance to rest? He was ready to drop, and the rocks slowly became clammy and cold, making his hands numb and he had to stop every so often to warm them by tucking them under his arms at any brief opportunity.

Their progress slowed even more. Dekkion was tiring and only Diana seemed to be able to keep up the gruelling pace. Eventually, less than half way down the mountainside, the Knight ground to a halt. Presto noticed there was more, fresh-looking blood seeping through Dekkion's broken armour.

'I must rest,' said Dekkion. 'We should rest before we reach the Plane below.' The injured Knight looked round at his friends, worry etched all over his face. 'We may be attacked the instant we set foot on the Plane. We must be careful.'

'I'll take first watch,' said Diana suddenly. 'You should all rest while you can.'

Presto looked up gratefully to the Acrobat. The exhaustion through him was more than just physical. Mentally and emotionally, he knew he couldn't go much further. It was all like a bad dream, a nightmare of nightmare-ish proportions. How could one little spell cause so much damage?

He huddled up, pulling his robes tightly around him, thinking only to close his eyes for a few minutes. But, in spite of the danger and the fear, Presto quickly sank into a deep, dreamless sleep.

* * *

When he woke, Lorne was already awake. Diana was half-dozing on the ground beside him, curled up in a little ball. She looked cold. No one spoke, and he let the others sleep, busy thinking and worrying and worrying some more. It was always the same: spell, Hat, death, friends, spell, Hat, death, friends…over and over again.

Dekkion woke at last, a while after Presto. The Knight looked grey, and the bleeding hadn't stopped. The three kids exchanged worried glances and Diana pointed at the fresh blood on his armour.

'You had better tell us what happened, Dekkion,' she said firmly. 'We're not going anywhere until you explain.'

The Knight waited, but one look at the expressions on his friends' faces must have convinced him to speak.

'I was in the city of Amulree,' he said. Presto frowned. He recognised the name. It was one of the cities he'd spoken of before they'd left: one of the cities that had fallen to Shadow Demon.

'It was a great city,' continued the Knight in a deep, mournful tone, 'with a strong army and a wide wall. But it wasn't enough. Fresh from their victory at Tardos, the Demon's army came and crushed us. There was no time for a siege, no time even to fight. The demons came in like lightning, overwhelming the guards and taking what they would.' Presto realised the Knight was shaking, with a look of disgust on his face. 'Against the great city, the Demon sent his two most lethal slaves. "Pain" and "Torment" they are called, and deservedly so.'

For a few moments, the Knight stopped, his laboured breathing the only noise.

'So I fought. I knew what they had come for, the Heart of the City and the magic that resides within it. I fought before the doors of the treasury, but it was all in vain. I was the last man standing. Torment wounded me.' The Knight touched the side of his armour, where all the blood was. 'Then Torment laughed and called for his sister, Pain, to come. As she swept in, I looked in her eyes, and was afraid.'

The Knight was silent again, looking down at the slimy stones they were sitting on. The other three looked at each other. Diana had a look of confusion on her face, but Lorne looked scared, plain and simple. Presto was confused too, and scared too, and also sickened with guilt. He couldn't stand to hear anymore, then Dekkion started talking again.

'The Demon of the Shadow desires power above all things. But it will pervert and distort, subdue and use, rather than needlessly destroy. And there its power resides: in lies and deceit and regret. I would not be used in its grand plan for domination.' Dekkion looked up at his friends, a cold look on his face. 'I fled. I used the power of my Sword, and came here.'

Presto didn't speak. He could only guess what it cost the Knight to flee in the face of an enemy, the Celestial Knights were proud and fearless and brave. He shivered. The Demon who challenged him must have been terrifying to scare Dekkion. The knot of guilt inside grew tighter, and Presto almost gave in to tears of despair. Almost.

Then Diana spoke.

'Why are you still bleeding?' she asked Dekkion gently.

'My wounds from Torment do not heal,' he replied. 'They will never heal. With no magic to aid me, I am doomed.'

The group was silent, and Lorne bowed his head. Dekkion looked up at the Magician, making Presto gasp. The look of steely determination in the Knight's eyes hit him like a real blow.

'But you must succeed, Magician,' he said. 'So we must go.'

Dekkion rose slowly, using his Sword to lever himself off the ground. Lorne stood too, helping the older man to stand. The two remaining young ones looked at each other again before standing. Presto knew what Diana was thinking, he could tell from the look on her face: They were in really, really big trouble if anything happened to the Knight. Without Dekkion's help and guidance, what hope did they have?

Following the others, Presto started to climb down the slippery hillside, having to cling on with both hands. As they descended, the air became damper and cooler and there were thick lumps of moss and lichen on the stone. Soon they were finding small puddles of cold water, and the rocks became more dangerous.

But eventually they reached the base of the mountain, and the Magician could stop and look around properly. They were standing ankle deep in water, and water was all around. There seemed to be no end to the calm, silvery blue of the huge lake in front of them. There was no sign of land anywhere but the grey mountain behind.

Presto gulped.

'We don't have to swim all the way to the centre? Do we?'

The Knight shook his head, and sat heavily on a large stone to catch his breath.

'No Magician. We must follow the whiter waters, and keep to the shallows.' Dekkion took a deep breath. He was looking paler now, and more exhausted. The blood on his armour was spreading.

'Are you gonna be OK?' asked Lorne quietly. 'You're gonna come with us?'

Dekkion nodded and pushed himself sluggishly off the rock.

'Come, my friends.'

They started off again, sloshing through the shallow water, following the line of the mountains. Lorne walked next to Dekkion in the lead, looking carefully around all the time, while Presto and Diana walked behind.

Next to him, the Acrobat was quiet. Often he caught her looking up at the sky, almost in despair. Eventually, not knowing what else to do or how to help, he took her hand. She smiled at him, but her eyes were full of tears.

'I miss the stars,' whispered Diana. 'I miss him so much.'

Presto tightened his grip on her hand, and she turned back, smiling shyly. He knew without being told why she liked the mid-night watches. Kosar would always be in her heart. What had Dungeonmaster said? _But you will meet again?_ Would they really be reunited? Presto flinched as he realised what he was thinking. It was wrong! None of that could happen now, he'd changed it. How could he have forgotten?

The Acrobat must have seen the look of shame on his face and she gave a sad smile, but didn't let go of his hand.

They walked on in silence for a while, the Magician trying to concentrate on the world around him, rather than give in to the guilt that was slowly building inside. Initially, the Plane of Water seemed a much better place than the Plane of Fire. It was flat for a start, and calm and cool. Softly, in the background, Presto could hear the tinkle of water dropping into water, and the dull, muffled roar of a nearby waterfall.

They walked on, and on. And on. Sometimes the water got deeper, deep enough to have to wade properly, sometimes it was so shallow that it was no deeper than a puddle of rain. But there was the constant dampness all the time, wet feet, wet legs and a faint sheen of sweat on his face. Presto quickly grew to hate it.

The Magician was counting the steps through the waters, his senses dulled by monotony when Dekkion and Lorne suddenly stopped. Presto stopped too, his heart thumping in fright. He hadn't been paying attention to what was going on as they'd seen nothing but water and rocks for hours.

He looked to where Dekkion was pointing. But instead of a giant water snake or Godzilla, he saw the figure of a beautiful young woman, playing in the water like a dolphin, a good distance ahead. She was ignoring them.

'It's a Nereid,' said Dekkion quietly. 'Perhaps, if she is asked, she may be able to guide us to the Inner Circle, but…' he glanced at Lorne, 'we may frighten her if we all go.'

The boy shrugged, as if to say "well, I didn't want to go anyway".

'We'll go talk to her,' said Diana, and the Magician nodded. The sight of the blood-covered Knight would be enough to terrify most creatures!

'Do not try to disguise yourselves,' said Dekkion breathlessly. 'And just speak the truth. There is no way to persuade her if she does not wish to help.'

Slowly, making no effort to hide their approach, the two remaining Young Ones walked forward. The Nereid soon became aware of them, and sank down, her blonde hair fanning out in the water behind her.

Diana and Presto stopped about ten feet away and waited. Her eyes flicked nervously from one to the other, but she didn't try to escape. After about a minute of waiting, the nymph slowly rose, so she was standing waist-deep in the water.

She was undeniably beautiful, with a slim, delicate build and white clothes draped over her body. She watched them, her gaze still flicking back and forth between them

'Hello,' said Presto. 'We're…'

The nymph flicked her head in a curt nod.

'You are the Pure of Heart,' she said. Her voice was like the whisper in a seashell, filled with the promise and longing of the sea.

The Magician and the Acrobat glanced at each other. _She knew!_

Diana nodded.

'We need your help,' said the Acrobat. 'We have to get to the Dungeon at the Heart of Dawn. Can you show us the way?'

The Nereid shook her head and a look of fear and disgust crossed her beautiful face.

'A creature, an evil creature stole my Soul-Shawl,' she whispered. 'It controls my fate now, and I must obey.' The nymph shuddered and the two friends looked at each other again, eyebrows raised. Presto felt sick. What had the creature done to make the Nereid so afraid?

'It told me to wait here,' the Nereid added. She looked urgently at the two young ones. 'Only if I am released from its grasp, will I be free to aid you.'

Presto nodded.

'What should we do?' he asked. The Nereid drew herself up fully out of the water, her long golden hair clinging to her. She pointed towards the mountains.

'Master has gone. It has gone to torment the Dragon of the Waterfall and steal his treasure.'

'We'll help you,' said Diana firmly, 'We'll get your Shawl back.'

'Yeah,' added Presto. 'We promise.'

But instead of looking pleased, the Nereid gave an infinitely sad smile and sank into the waters. There was barely a ripple as she disappeared.

Dekkion and Lorne rushed up.

'What did she say?' asked Lorne. 'Isn't she gonna help?'

'We need to get her Soul Shawl back,' explained Diana. 'Some jerk took it, and has gone to rob the Dragon in the waterfall.' She pointed in the direction the nymph had told them.

'Well, what are we waiting for?' demanded Lorne. 'Let's get goin'!'

Dekkion nodded in agreement, but made no move. Presto looked at the Knight anxiously. He was paler still, and had started leaning to one side. Blood occasionally trickled down the side of his armour.

'And we cannot leave her enslaved,' said Dekkion, his deep voice low and calm. 'We must go, as quickly as we can. Diana, lead us on.'

The Acrobat swung round, and marched ahead, leading them back towards the mountainside and towards the dull roar of the waterfall.

They didn't have to walk far. Close beside the mountain, in the short valley it had carved, there was a huge waterfall. Enormous billows of mist floated out from its base, covering the four companions in dew. There was a shallow grotto full of mist off to one side, but that was empty, and apart from the continual movement of the water, everything else was still.

They waited, and Presto kept looking around uneasily. There was something weird about this place. It was so quiet and creepy, and he had the constant feeling they were being watched.

'Perhaps we should look behind the waterfall,' suggested Lorne suddenly. Dekkion shook his head.

'No, there is no way behind, and the power of the water is too much. Nothing can be hidden there.'

The Magician looked at Diana, who just shrugged back at him. Beside her, the Knight frowned.

'This is not right,' he murmured. 'There is something…'

The waited for a few more seconds and, just as Presto was about to suggest they left, when the water around them began to undulate. The waves began to grow and swirl.

Then there was a shout from behind them.

He turned round, as his friends did the same, and he cried out in fear and surprise. He recognised the hooded, fur-clad man standing before them even before Lorne had hissed his name:

'Korlock!'

Presto instinctively looked to the man's chest, and saw the red, glowing Stone of Astra.

'Get down!' the man shouted.

The Magician froze, but out of the corner of his eye he saw the water beside them surge up in a sinuous wave.

'Get down!' bellowed Korlock again. Presto still didn't move, even as Korlock raised the Talisman round his neck. He took a quick step back, and stumbled on the edge of his robe, landing in the water with a heavy splosh. It was just in time as the Stone flared into life, sending red fire straight at the place where he'd been standing.

Presto sat in the water for a few moments, surprised and relieved at his good fortune. More long, red arcs of fire burst out of the Stone sending water showering everywhere and the Magician scrambled to his feet.

Presto looked back in amazement. There were long tendrils of water trying to grab them. Behind the tendrils were three large, blue-grey figures, like scarecrows with wings. They had short swords, and were growling and spitting at the humans.

Dekkion stood up tall, dragging his Sword out of the scabbard and rushing towards the figures with a hoarse shout. Pulses of energy burst out of the sword, and the figures retreated, fading into the background as if they didn't care what was happening. The Knight slowed and looked round. Presto saw the look on his face: it was terror. He shuddered.

Suddenly, Korlock was grabbed by something from behind, and pulled down below the surface. Lorne raced forward towards him. Tendrils coiled around the Acrobat, intent on pulling her down too. With a firm flick of his Sword, Dekkion staggered over, slicing through the closest tentacle. Diana fell to the ground with a splash. The Knight turned, his sword pulsing with light. He sent its magic power towards the remaining Water Elementals surrounding them with blue fire. One by one they fled.

Lorne had pulled a spluttering Korlock up, free of the water, and was lifting the Stone from his neck.

'Lorne!' called Dekkion anxiously, 'do not…'

The boy turned, a look of fury on his face.

'Don't tell me what to do, old man! The Stone is mine! And I'm keeping it!'

He put the chain over his neck and let the Stone fall to his chest, still glaring at the others. Then he looked down at the waterlogged Korlock with a scowl.

'Where's the Soul-Shawl,' he demanded.

Korlock shook his head.

'I do not have it, boy,' he spluttered. 'I…'

'I don't believe you,' snapped Lorne.

'Enough,' said Dekkion harshly, making them all jump. 'It is beyond our reach, and we must go.'

Diana stared at the Knight in shock as the Knight stumbled through the water towards them.

'But we need to find the Shawl,' she said. 'She won't help otherwise.'

Dekkion shook his head, leaning on his sword, obviously in great pain.

'It is beyond you reach, Acrobat,' he said. 'We must leave this place. Now!'

'Why?' asked Presto. This wasn't making any sense!

'There is nothing more we can do here,' insisted Dekkion.

'But the Nereid!' objected Presto, unable to accept that they would just leave the creature to its fate. He'd seen the twisted look of terror on her face and had sensed her desperation. They couldn't just walk away! 'You said we'd help! We have to help! We can't just...'

Dekkion shook his head firmly. Presto could hardly believe that Dekkion, yes Dekkion the Celestial Knight of all people, had gone back on his word!

'We cannot aid her, Magician,' said the Knight. 'I see now that this was a trap and the Nereid had no choice. They were waiting for the good or the unwary, and she was made to send us here. This time they got more that they realised, but our presence here is now know. If we stay to help her, we will surely fail. If I had only realised in time…'

Presto didn't reply, caught between breaking a promise and helping his friends. He didn't really believe that they would abandoned the nymph: Hank would never have done that! He would never have left the poor creature enslaved. In all their time in the Realm they had never yet failed to help anyone, and he didn't want to start now! He looked at the Knight for an explanation.

'I-I made a terrible mistake in leading you here, ' said Dekkion, the words punctuated by short gasps. 'I fear that those creatures are loyal to the Demon of the Shadows. We must go.'

Diana and Presto looked at each other, and the Magician saw his own fear reflected in her face.

'Wh-what do you mean?' he stammered.

'Those were no ordinary Elementals, my friends. They were Demons of high Rank and Power. I recognise them.'

The Magician shuddered.

'And now we have lost the element of surprise,' continued Dekkion bitterly. 'This is my fault, I should have been more wary. For the Demon of the Shadows will soon know our hiding place, and will guess what we seek.' The Knight gave a noticeable gulp. 'He will be waiting.'


	4. Waterscape

Chapter 4

Waterscape.

'We must go,' said Dekkion. 'This place is no longer safe for any of us.'

The Knight was looking nervously around the narrow valley again, eyes lingering on the nearby cave. His tenseness unsettled Presto even more. _Dekkion is very worried_. (No, Dekkion is extremely worried) _This is not good_.

The Magician followed Dekkion's gaze and turned to look at the cave as well. It was dark and full of mist and…he froze. There was movement, he was sure. Slowly, two green points of light glared at him from the ball of mist inside the cave making Presto's fear suddenly soar. What had the Nereid said? Something about "the Dragon in the Waterfall"? They hadn't seen any Dragon around here…yet! And not all Dragons were friendly, either!

His breath caught sharply in the back of his throat. _It's time to leave_! (Again)

Dekkion was helping the bedraggled Korlock to stand. The Knight looked weary, but neither Diana or Lorne had moved to help.

There was a low growl from behind them. Something seemed to be solidifying out of the mist and all Presto could think of were those glowing eyes. They had to get outta there! He grabbed Korlock's arm from the Knight and started pulling him forward, Diana taking the other arm. Then they all staggered back upstream, with no sound of pursuit, but Presto didn't have the courage to look back and check.

The going was slower than before, as both Korlock and Dekkion were struggling to keep up with the younger ones. Lorne trailed behind, all his attention given to the Stone around his neck. But they made it safely back to the huge lake without incident. As soon as they were out of sight of the waterfall, Dekkion ground to a halt and slumped down on a rock again.

They gathered round the exhausted Knight, except for Lorne, who stood off to one side. The wizard Korlock was next to Dekkion, still catching his breath. Presto had kept a close eye on the newcomer, and so far that he hadn't given the Stone of Astra a second glance. But from what Presto remembered, the Stone had a powerful pull on the man. He wouldn't give it up, not without a struggle.

Finally, the Knight spoke.

'Thank you, Korlock, for your aid,' he said.

The other man nodded then asked:

'Your wound, it was from, him?'

The two men exchanged "significant" glances, and there seemed to be an unspoken understanding between them. Presto found it uncomfortable to watch the way they looked at each other, as if they knew something that he didn't. Eventually, Korlock sighed and said:

'I am sorry, Knight. This madness spreads quickly and my powers become weak in this dismal place. I cannot give you the magic you need.'

Dekkion nodded, as if he had expected Korlock to say that.

'Yet there is another way you may help,' he replied. 'We travel to the Dungeon at the Heart of Dawn, but the way is perilous. You still have some power within you. Will you join us? Will you aid us?'  
Presto looked at the other Wizard uncertainly and caught the fractional glance Korlock gave Lorne as he stood sulking at the back.

'Is this a good idea, Dekkion?' asked Diana suddenly. 'Can we trust him?'

'This man saved our lives, Acrobat,' said the Knight. 'We may need his aid again.'

Diana studied the ground for a few seconds, looking uneasy, then glanced at Presto.

'What do you think, Presto? What should have happened to him? You did meet him too, in your world, didn't you?'

Slowly, the Magician nodded, even though he hated being treated like an Oracle. This Korlock person had spent his whole life chasing after the Stone of Astra only to destroy it after defeating Venger. He didn't look trustworthy; the hooked nose and short, stubby beard made him look like the bad-guy out of Scooby Doo, but he'd helped them before, as well as now.

'He used the Stone to save us from Venger,' replied Presto heavily. 'Then he destroyed it.'

Korlock was looking at him in amazement.

'You, "know" this? How?'

The Magician suddenly felt very awkward explaining the situation to a stranger. It was bad enough that he'd had to tell anyone, and the look on Korlock's face didn't make it any easier.

'I, um, sorta, um, know different sorta stuff,' he managed to say. 'Yeah, just sorta different. Where I come from, things happened a little differently, that's all.'

Korlock narrowed his eyes.

'You are from another, different Realm?' he said solemnly, as if trying to understand a puzzle. 'Different, but the same?' He paused in surprise 'So, what the Demon said was true! I would never have believed it.'

'What!' said Presto, alarmed. 'What do you mean?'

'I met the Shadowed One, and his "entourage", before coming here,' the Wizard replied, arching his bushy eyebrows at Dekkion. 'I have witnessed first hand its evil and destructive power. It boasted, of how the powers of Darkness had subverted one of the Weapons of Power, and had done, this; changed it all, making it…different.' Korlock stopped, looking at the Magician with infinite sadness. The expression made him want to cry.

'The powers of Darkness?' murmured Presto._ The Hat had been "subverted" by the powers of Darkness. _(This isn't good. This really isn't good) Under other circumstances, he would have just ignored the implications, but the word Darkness struck a chord. After all, with Martha's help, they had destroyed the Darkling, saved Hank and stopped the Winds of Darkness "covering the Realm forever". Perhaps this was some sort of revenge.

'We'd just defeated the Darkling,' said Presto quietly, 'before I woke up here. I'd used the Hat to help, and suck up some of the fog…fog?' Korlock's expression had changed to a terrifying scowl at the word. 'T-the Darkling's fog?' said Presto in surprise. 'You can't think that it could do this? No way! It was just some dumb fog, there's no way…it…could…' He stopped.

'You know so little about your weapon's power, Magician,' Korlock told him. 'But next to the power of Darkness, even it must submit.'

The surge of anger through his chest was overwhelmed by fear as Presto realised what Korlock meant. He felt the blood draining out of his face and shivered, trying to understand what the man had told him. Somehow, his Hat had become a tool of Darkness? And Darkness did this, changed it all for its own purpose? How was he gonna overcome Darkness, again and on his own? More questions started to form, but there was one that was more important. He looked up desperately at the other Wizard.

'It will be OK, right? The Hat, I mean. It will work OK? Won't it'

Korlock shrugged.

'Perhaps the power of the Dawn can cleanse it, I do not know.'

Presto could hardly think. What if it didn't work? What if the Hat was broken beyond repair this time? A feeling of terrible loss threatened to overwhelm him, then he felt a hand on his arm: Diana's.

'But do you know how to get there?' the Acrobat asked eagerly. 'The Dungeon at the Heart of Dawn?'

The man shook his head.

'I have travelled in all five Planes, and never yet found the entrance to the Dawn. Its power cannot be woken by one such as myself; only one with the right and resolve may succeed.'

Presto frowned at Korlock. This guy was starting to sound like the Dungeonmaster; too much like Dungeonmaster for comfort!

'So how are we gonna find this dungeon place without a guide?' asked Diana, turning back to Dekkion.

'We will have to follow the line of the mountains,' replied the Knight. He smiled reassuringly at the Acrobat and Magician. 'We have the right and the need to find the Dungeon at the Heart of Dawn,' he told them, 'and we must surely succeed. We have to keep going.'

That last statement almost made Presto smile. _We have to keep going?_ There was no way the Knight was going to last. But Dekkion managed to pull himself upright once more, and he started walking without another word. Korlock followed, then Diana. The Magician waited for a few seconds, then a sullen-looking Lorne followed the Acrobat, still rubbing the Stone.

Presto tried to step forward, but the heaviness in his heart made it almost impossible. Things were getting worse! The Hat had been corrupted but Darkness. It was probably useless. Was there any point in even continuing? There was no way he was ever going to fix what he'd done, or what Darkness had done through him. He didn't want to be doing this anymore, he didn't want the responsibility of saving them all. He didn't even want to "be" anymore.

Hank would have been so much better at this, he would never have let himself be used for an evil purpose. Hank would never have let everyone down so badly. Hank would know what to do. _But you do know what to do, Presto,_ he told himself._ You've known it from the very beginning. _That thought did nothing to cheer him up, but he knew it was the truth. Keep going, and don't give up.

'Keep going,' he said out loud. 'Don't give up. Hank wouldn't give up.'

He closed his eyes for a second, feeling tears starting again. Then he took a deep breath, and started walking.

There was no sign of the Nereid, or any other creature for a long while. Occasional waves would appear from nowhere and often there were high-pitched whistles and clicks, but there was no one to disturb them. The lack of trouble worried Presto. Dekkion had been worried about attacks, but there had been no sign of anything for a long, long time. Surely there were other things in this Plane?

They were not allowed to rest, and that worried Presto too. Dekkion seemed to know what he was doing, but the Magician couldn't shake the feeling that he was getting desperate. Diana seemed to agree, judging by the covert looks she was casting in the Knight's direction, but they were both too tired to talk to each other for long. Korlock still walked next to Dekkion, and had deliberately kept out of Lorne's way so far. Those two hadn't even acknowledged each other. Lorne was lagging behind, constantly fingering the Stone. There was a look of a lost little boy about him, a look that reminded Presto of the Cavalier when they'd first come to the Realm. It was depressing.

But what was more depressing was the constant dampness. They'd walked through water for so long that Presto had almost forgotten what the word dry meant. And what was even more depressing was the fact that they didn't seem to be getting anywhere. The water always looked the same, as did the mountains to their other side. Often, Presto imagined he was stationary and everything else was moving around him in a continual loop.

Every so often they stopped to rest for a minute, and it was during one of those brief breaks that Dekkion finally gave Presto some hope. When Diana asked how they were doing, instead of the usual "We progress slowly, Acrobat" answer, he said: 'We are close. I can feel it.'

The Acrobat and Magician exchanged excited glances. They were close!

'How far, Knight?' asked Korlock.

Dekkion drew a slow, painful breath and pointed out into the lake towards a tiny mound that was barely visible.

'I think that is the entrance,' he said.

Everyone was quiet. They were all thinking the same thing.

'How do we get there?' asked Presto. 'Do we have to swim?'

Unable to stop himself, the Magician glanced down at the blood slowly leaking out of the Celestial Knight's armour. Swimming was not going to be an option for Dekkion.

Presto looked down to his Hat with a silent sigh. It only it was working, he could get a boat or some diving gear out of it.

From somewhere behind them more shallow waves appeared from nowhere. Presto looked back nervously. Perhaps something was following them after all.

The Knight was looking alarmed too.

'We must go, now,' he said. 'There should be a path, but we must swim if we have to.' Dekkion looked less than impressed at the thought, which didn't surprise Presto at all; swimming in the robes would be hard enough, but with all that armour (and in his current condition) the Knight would sink before he took a single stroke. Diana was looking at Dekkion with a familiar don't-be-dumb look that she reserved exclusively for Eric, but she didn't say anything as the Knight waded off.

It felt strange leaving the mountains behind, and Presto didn't like it. They had given him some strange sort of comfort, a link to the other Plane and reassurance that there was something solid around here. Wading out into the water didn't seem like a good idea, particularly when he couldn't see the bottom properly.

The lake had only been ankle deep to start with, but as they waded out, it grew deeper. It was half way up his thighs by the time they were only a quarter of the way across. Lorne was waist deep already, being shorter than the Magician, but he didn't seem to care. He was still holding the Stone, his eyes brighter than before and a sardonic smile on his face. Diana was walking close behind Dekkion and Korlock, and Presto could see she was shivering.

The mound was growing larger with every step forward they took. But the water grew deeper. By the time they were half way, it was up to Presto's ribcage. He could feel his robes swishing around in the thick, cold water, and it felt like he was encased in a lead suit. He now knew why Eric hated climbing so much; carrying around all that steel couldn't be much fun.

Ahead, just behind Diana, Dekkion was getting increasingly nervous; Presto could tell from the way he was looking around at the empty lake.

'We attract to much attention,' he muttered, when Presto asked what was wrong. 'We take too much of a risk.' The Magician gulped, expecting The Thing from the Bottom of the Sea to leap up out of the water at any second. 'And we are too spread out.'

Lorne was far behind and almost swamped by the waters, so the group stopped to wait. Presto was almost pleased. Being stationary meant that at least some water could be warmed up around him.

No one spoke. He waited in vain to hear the words of Dungeonmaster in his mind, prompting him, and helping him to keep going. There was only silence. He just kept feeling worse and worse. They were all helping him get to the Dungeon at the Heart of Dawn, but it was still his responsibility to get it done, to put things back the way they were. So far he'd done nothing but trail along after Dekkion and Diana. He hadn't helped at the waterfall, in fact he'd almost gotten fried by the Stone's magic. They weren't even at the caves yet. If Dekkion collapsed, or Korlock turned on Lorne and took the Stone, what would they do?

But that wasn't the real problem. _The Hat. _(The Hat and the Darkness) _The Hat. The Darkness. What was he going to…?_

There was a gasp from Diana, and she pointed behind them.

'Are those, fins?' she asked.

Everyone turned.

Lorne was much closer, his face red in spite of the cold and he was breathing heavily. Behind him were a number of fins, all slowly cutting through the water. Presto shuddered. They had to be sharks.

'They've been hovering around me for ages,' gasped Lorne as he struggled up. 'You coulda waited sooner!'

The creatures hung back, away from the group, the tops of their fins barely visible.

'What are they waiting for?' asked Diana nervously.

Dekkion just shrugged, so Korlock said:

'Perhaps they sense the Stone and the Sword, even through the water. They must not be hungry enough to attack those who are armed.'

'So why are they following us?' asked Presto. Korlock said nothing but the Knight pointed to Lorne.

'The Stone will draw evil to it,' said Dekkion. 'It is a dangerous and destructive weapon.'

He looked down at the boy, with all the majesty and power of a Celestial Knight. Lorne gulped and shrank way, but he still clutched the Stone. Then, looking embarrassed and ashamed, the boy turned and marched off, as well as anyone could march in such deep waters.

'Diana, follow Lorne,' ordered Dekkion. 'We must not wander alone.'

She looked surprised but agreed.

'Korlock, watch over the Acrobat.'

The man nodded warily, leaving Presto and the Knight together.

Presto looked at the exhausted man by his side. Dekkion wasn't going to last much longer. There was no way he should have lasted this long in the first place.

'Magician,' said Dekkion eventually. 'Time runs too quickly, but I have something to say.' Presto looked back at him, with a slight frown. There was a tone in his friend's voice that he didn't like. 'You must believe, you must trust what you do, please.' Presto nodded, but didn't really understand. 'I have sworn to help, and that I am bound to carry out. But I fear we may yet meet the Demon,' continued Dekkion. 'And when you do, you must be strong.'

The Magician frowned, not knowing what the Knight was trying to tell him.

'Look, Dekkion, you need some rest, you shouldn't be…'

'No, Magician! Presto, my friend, you must listen. This may be the only opportunity I have to tell you these things.' The Knight looked pale and afraid, and Presto was reminded of his best friend, the Cavalier, just before they went to attack the Darkling's Grotto; there was a look of determination that was the same. Presto shook his head briskly as he realised what he was doing. Comparing Eric to Dekkion? Favourably? It must have been the similarity in uniforms! The Knight continued.

'The Demon will bring his power to bear on you the most, and you must be ready to face the truth.' He took a long slow breath. 'I know what you fear. For I am a Celestial Knight, and have faced the true fears of my heart. You have too, in the Tower. You fear powerlessness, being stripped of your glasses, or your Hat. Believing yourself to be weak, you rely on others, both objects and people, to control your fate. But only through facing the truth, can victory come to us. And only you can achieve this, Presto. Do not fail us.'

The last sentence was barely more than a whisper. The words made Presto shudder, and not just because they sounded so Dungeonmaster-like. The Knight was trying to tell him something.

'Why are you saying this?' asked Presto. 'What is it that I've gotta face?'

'I am sorry. You will have to discover it on your own, I can't bring myself to…' He paused. 'But remember, Magician, you have to do this deed, no matter what the consequences.'

'Consequences?'

Dekkion nodded.

'There are always consequences with magic, Presto. You should have learned that by now.'

With that, the Knight turned away, and followed Diana, Korlock and Lorne. Presto waited for a few seconds, but he could see the predators following them and he waded after Dekkion. He was busy thinking.

_Consequences with magic?_ It was all about the Hat, it had to be. It had never been a reliable weapon. Yes, it could be very powerful, but just as chaotic; after all it had thought "Ranger Fred's Guide to the Amazon" was going to stop the greatest Evil in the Universe! Korlock had said as much earlier. _You know so little about your weapon's power, Magician. _At the time, Presto had been annoyed at the comment; but he had been too concerned with what Darkness had done to his Hat to really think about it. But now, he remembered. He knew nothing about how the Hat worked; it didn't have a manual and no one had ever told him anything about it, apart from what Dungeonmaster had said about "twiddles". Damn it, even Uni had gotten the stupid thing to work on the first try!

'Where's Dungeonmaster when I need him,' murmured Presto. 'What I wouldn't give for a riddle right now!'

He waited hopefully for a second, but nothing happened, no comforting words or sudden appearances, so he continued wading forward. It was easy to catch up with Dekkion, and Presto walked next to him in silence for a long while, trying to understand what the Knight meant. They were drawing close to the mound, close enough for him to see the water lap at its edge. Ahead, Lorne and the others had stopped.

'The water gets too deep,' explained the Acrobat as Presto and the Knight stopped beside her. 'We'll have to swim.'

The Knight gave a heavy nod, as if he'd always expected this. Presto glanced behind them. The fins had gone. Was that good or bad?

'More than one at a time may attract to much attention,' said the Knight. 'But who will go first?'

Lorne looked at Korlock, Korlock looked at Dekkion, and Dekkion looked at Presto. Presto gulped.

'I will,' said Diana with a confident smile. 'I have to get outta here before I freeze!' She noticed Presto's worried look. 'I'll be OK, Presto.'

With that, she turned and pushed off into the cool water.

It took her a long while to swim across, making the Magician worried. She was a good swimmer, but she was tired and cold. Taking long, careful strokes she kept a good pace and eventually reached the mound, pulled herself out and waved at them.

Next to him, Dekkion slowly removed his breastplate, letting it slip silently to the floor of the lake. He kept the chainmail and his scabbard belt on. Red wisps of blood leaked out of the mail shirt into the waters.

'Lorne, you will follow me, then you Presto,' he said. He looked at the older man standing behind. 'You will be last, Korlock.'

Korlock nodded brusquely, giving Lorne and the Stone a quick glance that only Presto saw. He shivered, and not because of the water. Dekkion had turned to start his swim.

It was obvious from the start that the Knight could swim, but he took a very, very long time to cross the gap to the mound and he left a trail of blood behind him. But he made it to the mound in one piece. Diana helped him climb out, and he lay still, obviously exhausted.

'This is getting dangerous,' whispered Lorne. 'Who knows what things hunt here!'

Behind, there were soft swishing noises, perhaps the prelude to an attack. Presto started

shivering again. _Shouldn't the sharks go after the blood? _(Maybe they're not sharks?) _Maybe they're worse…_

Lorne took a short, fearful glance at Korlock, then swam out after Dekkion. He had a less efficient stroke, but he was younger and fitter and he started off quickly. It was going to take him only a short time to cross; too short in Presto's opinion.

Korlock was watching the waters behind them, ignoring Lorne's efforts, and unaware that the Magician had turned to look at him. Presto was thinking about what the wizard had said about the Hat: _You know so little about your weapon's power, Magician. _

He'd never had the chance to talk to another wizard before, not one that wasn't totally evil. All the magic users in this awful place seemed to be evil: Kelek, Warduke, "Merlin", Queen Syrith; even Karena had turned on them. His heart sank, filled with cold and fear. All he could hear was the soft sploshes as Lorne swam onwards. But he could at least ask; this might be the only opportunity he was gonna get.

'Korlock?' he said suddenly. 'What do you know about the Hat?'

The other wizard looked down sagely at him, like a teacher asked a difficult question.

'If the Dungeonmaster has not told you, then I should not either,' he said. 'But it is weapon of the most powerful and most dangerous nature.'

'But…'

Korlock held up his hand.

'I can tell you this. It is NOT just a conduit between realities and its sole function is NOT just to produce objects. Someday, you will learn of its other power.'

Ignoring Presto's obvious frustration at his answer, Korlock turned away, looking behind them once more. The Magician was about to say something but Korlock hushed him with a flick of his hand.

'Be still! Can you sense it?'

Presto opened his mouth to ask what, but he didn't have to. There was something inside, an uncomfortable feeling as if he'd eaten too much candy in one go. But also there was a feeling of anticipation and excitement; a lightness of heart, something he'd only ever experienced back at school, watching Hank go for the last and vital touchdown of the game.

'There are creatures, both Good and Evil coming, Magician,' said Korlock not bothering to turn around. 'They can feel us just as we can feel them, our need and fear scream out like a beacon. We must hope that Good finds us first.'

Presto turned to watch as Lorne plodded forward, focusing on the feelings inside, and trying to make some sort of sense out of what Korlock had told him. But it was too hard to concentrate on. _He'd make a good Dungeonmaster,_ thought Presto sourly. And at least he'd stopped worrying about his impending swim.

'Magician,' said Korlock suddenly, when Lorne was almost across. 'You must hurry! Go now and I will follow soon.'

The man gave him a thin smile, one that the Magician took to be his attempt at being supportive.

Presto took a deep breath and plunged forward. He swam slowly forward the cold water making him gasp, but the robes had trapped some warm water and his muscles didn't start to cease up. Starting slowly, trying to conserve energy, he paddled forward, counting strokes and reciting math formulae to stop himself panicking about the distance.

He could see the others. Lorne was sitting down, holding the Stone. Dekkion was slumped against a rock, eyes closed, bleeding with the sword was held limply in his hand. Diana was down by the edge, waiting for him. She was smiling encouragingly and even though he was exhausted, he tried to smile back. He was almost within grabbing distance and she held out her hand.

It all happened within a few seconds. Around him, all the water surged and instead of taking a mouthful of air, Presto got a mouthful of water and started coughing.

'PRESTO!' screamed Diana. Her next cry was swallowed by the noise of bubbling water and the Magician was overwhelmed by the waves.

Pulled down, the heavy robes totally water logged, he slowly sank down towards the gloom. He struggled, a crushing pain through his chest, trying desperately to swim; his arms were flapping, but all he did was sink deeper. The panic grew quickly. He couldn't breathe and he couldn't swim, there was no way to get back to the surface. He was gonna drown. He was gonna die this time for sure. And a voice inside his head said: _You don't deserve anything else. You've let them all down already!_

His lungs were bursting, but there was a swirl of water beside him, and something chirped at him from close by. A rough, warm, body moved against him, pushing him back up.

His head broke the surface just in time and he gulped in huge whooping gasps of air. By his side, something was floating, helping him to stay on the surface. There was a large, grey Dolphin at his elbow, nuzzling his arm gently. It had skin like sandpaper and lots of small, pointy teeth. But it was watching him with big black eyes, dipping its nose rapidly in and out if the water, like a pet wanting attention. It clicked at him again.

A Dolphin! He suddenly realised that these were the creatures that had been following them. In spite of the danger, he smiled. Dolphins, not sharks…

It clicked happily back at him, then stared. Presto had the strangest sensation, looking at the playful, eager animal beside him. It was trying to tell him something too. He imagined he could hear it talking to him, saying: "You have to keep going. Don't give up when you are so close!"

The animal chirped urgently at him, then with a flick of its tail and a swish of shallow waves, it was gone. Presto looked after it, puzzled. _Don't be dumb, Presto, dolphins aren't telepathic._

A hand reached out, and pulled him to the rocks. He hauled himself up, straightening his glasses that had amazingly managed to stay put. Close by, the Hat was still floating in the water, and Presto watched it without moving.

The first impulse was to grab it, to make sure it didn't get lost, but he could remember everything that he'd done and he hesitated. Why didn't he just give up? He could let it just float away. He couldn't cope with all this responsibility.

Diana was giving the Magician a huge hug, then she reached forward and plucked the Hat out of the water. After giving it a quick wring, she handed it back.

'Here you go, Presto,' she said. He looked at the soggy weapon in his hand. _Don't give up when you are so close!_ He pulled it firmly back onto his head.

There was a splashing from near by, making Presto start. Korlock was close, swimming forward with long, powerful strokes.

'Quickly,' he said, pulling himself up, 'get away from the edge. They come!'

Just as the man pulled himself out, the waters behind started to churn and froth. Streams of bubble erupted from the water like geysers.

Presto, Diana and Korlock all moved back to join the others. Lorne was standing, holding the Stone tightly. The Acrobat took up a fighting stance, as if she had the Javelin. Dekkion hadn't moved or opened his eyes.

Before them, the water bubbled and churned, and Presto felt a familiar lurch of fear. All they seemed to be doing was going from one disaster to another.

'Wh-what's happening?' asked Diana.

Five huge monsters slowly pulled themselves out of the water and onto the rocks of the mound. Green in colour, they looked like slimy giants from the real Realm, dripping with foul smelling ooze. The water that they passed through turned black behind them.

There was a grate of metaland Dekkion forced himself to stand.

'They are here,' he said.


	5. Truth or Dare

Chapter 5

Truth or Dare.

'What are they,' asked Diana, staring at the creatures in front of her.

'These are Water Devils,' said Korlock shakily. 'They have come for our magic.'

The huge creatures pulled themselves out of the water, leaving trails of black slime in their wake. The stench of rotting weeds hit Presto, and he swallowed against the sudden sickness. They didn't seem to have any weapons, but then again they didn't seem to need them. They had long, thick fingers like hotdogs on huge hands and Presto guessed that once they had a hold of you, you weren't going anywhere but down; deep, deep down…

The group of five huddled together and both Presto and Diana looked at Dekkion to see what he would do next. But the Knight looked more than exhausted. He was standing, but his sword-arm was limp by his side. Fear made it hard for the Magician to breath properly. If the Knight fell, they were done for.

'Dekkion,' he whispered. 'Dekkion, what are we gonna do?'

The Knight didn't reply, instead Korlock said:

'You… must go. Quickly!'

The other wizard was not looking at them, but instead down at his own hands, an expression of fear on his face. Abruptly, Korlock turned to glare at the Knight.

'Guide them forward, Dekkion,' said Korlock firmly. 'You must. You are too weak to help here.'

They looked eye to eye for a second, then Dekkion turned away.

'Presto, Diana, this way! Lorne!' the Knight said.

Diana hesitated, then followed. But Presto didn't move. They weren't seriously going to let Korlock face those evil things on his own? OK, so the other wizard was kinda spooky and odd, but they couldn't just run away! It wasn't right!

'We can't just leave him,' said Presto, looking back. 'We can't!'

But the Knight had gone, staggering up the side of the mound. Diana grabbed his arm and dragged Presto forward. He stumbled up a few steps, constantly looking round to see what was happening.

'We're not going to abandon him too, are we?' he asked her. 'We can't!'

'We should go,' said Diana, not looked happy either. 'I don't know what…'

She suddenly looked up, behind him and he followed her gaze. Lorne had taken up a position near Korlock, and had lifted the Stone of Astra. It was already starting to glow.

'They're trying to help us,' said Diana tearfully, pulling him on again. 'We have to go! We've gotta get to the Dungeon at the Heart of Dawn.'

The Magician staggered after the Knight and the Acrobat, but he still wanted to know what the others were going to do and kept watch over his shoulder. Korlock had lifted his arms, facing the five monsters.

'Powers of the Evil Twelve Talismans, aid me now!' he shouted. Blue fire erupted from his hands. Lorne raised the Stone, red magic flickering at the edges.

'We have to go!' urged Diana from close by. 'Don't waste this chance…'

But Presto wanted to argue; he wanted to go right up to Lorne and pull him along regardless, but he couldn't reach him, the Water Devils were almost on top of them. Korlock was right next to the boy now, his hands glowing a fierce blue. He looked down at Lorne, a fierce and frightening look in his eyes. The other wizard was staring at the Stone as if it was the only thing he could see.

Presto pulled his ragged sleeve away from Diana and stopped to stare. Which side was the other Wizard on anyway? Would Korlock turn on the boy, and take the stone for himself? He stood still, watching desperate to know what would happen. There was a sharp tug at his arm. He slipped.

'Presto!' hissed Diana, 'We've gotta go!'

He tried to argue, but they were almost at the top of the mound. There was a hole just in front of him and Diana pulled him towards it, holding his arm tightly. The sounds of the battle were clear behind them, howls and screams and the sharp hiss of angry magic.

Dekkion was standing, breathless, against a wall as Diana and Presto reached him. His eyes were closed, and he didn't say anything as they approached. He pointed forwards.

The hole widened out suddenly just ahead, changing into a huge tower with steps winding down around the side. It was dark, but there was a soft blue glow from the base that lit their way.

'At… the base of…the tower,' gasped Dekkion, 'is the Dungeon. We are almost…there.'

Relief spread through Presto, making him feel dangerously light-headed. He pushed the worry and shame at abandoning the others to the back of his mind, and concentrated on what was next. Perhaps they would get there after all, perhaps they would find the Dungeon at the Heart of Dawn, perhaps they would find enough magic to recharge the Hat, perhaps he would change it back.

At that thought, the relief was replaced by fear again. What if the Hat was recharged; would it work? Would he find a way to change it back without making everything worse? And what then?

_What am I gonna do? _(Worry about it later, Presto) _Yes, but…_(Worry when we get there)

Diana took his arm, more gently this time. There was a smile on her face. It was small, but it was also a real smile. It looked weird.

'C'mon!' she said. 'Let go!'

They made their way down the steps as quickly as they could. Diana seemed especially nervous, and looked around constantly. But nothing came to challenge them.

The steps wound down for a very long way. Beside him, Diana kept urging them forward, taking the lead and leaving Dekkion a good way behind. The Knight clunked down the steps, getting slower all the time, but the Acrobat wouldn't wait. Only when they reached the bottom did Diana pause.

Presto looked around uneasily. The pure white crystals in the walls glowed, making the base much brighter than he'd thought. They looked like ice, but they weren't cold, just sharp and dangerous. There was an archway close by, presumably the entrance to the Dungeon, but there was something about this place that wasn't pleasant. He clamped down hard on the feelings inside. He had come so far, he couldn't let the fear win now, of all times. And, besides, he had to know.

Still a way behind, Dekkion waved them forward without him and so, together, the Acrobat and the Magician walked on.

It was the first thing he saw as he stepped through: This is what he'd feared. This was a tomb too.

He'd known this was what must have happened. But actually seeing the body made Presto want to be sick again. He'd done this; he'd changed it all. It was his fault.

Hank was sprawled on the ground with one arm flung to the side, the useless Bow lying just out of reach. He was face-up, but his head was turned to look towards the crystal caves beyond with expression of pure despair in his cold, glazed eyes. There were no marks anywhere on him, but he was undeniably dead.

Presto didn't move, but Diana stumbled to her knees beside the fallen Ranger. She stroked his blonde hair tenderly.

'I'm s-s-sorry, H-hank,' she whispered. She leaned forward, crying over her fallen friend, resting her head on his chest. '_I'm so sorry.'_

This hurt more than finding Eric's memorial; Hank was more than just his friend, he was the one he looked up to, the one he trusted the most, the one who'd always believed in him. Seeing Diana crying over the Ranger almost made him pass out it hurt so much.

But he didn't approach the body, he couldn't; it was too much to bear. He was too numb and shocked to do anything but stay still, he couldn't even cry. Instead he stayed where he was, looking down on the dead Ranger from afar.

Eventually, he felt Dekkion's hand on his arm.

'Diana, Presto,' said the Knight quietly. The Magician managed to look away from his dead friend and see where Dekkion had pointed. Presto shuddered, more in surprise than in fear. Venger's body close by, as still and dead as the Ranger.

Prompted to move by his friend, Presto stumbled forwards, his legs wobbling as he walked. The Acrobat obviously found it hard to leave Hank, but she followed after Dekkion and Presto, her head bowed.

Further on, they found a scrap of material from Sheila's Cloak and the end of Bobby's Club. The Knight looked down at the remains of the weapons sadly, as if he'd been expecting to find them. With the pieces still in his hand, Dekkion looked onwards, and Presto followed his gaze. Just ahead was another opening in the crystals: the way to the Dungeon at the Heart of Dawn.

A warm, glow passed through Presto, in spite everything that he'd seen. They had made it. They were here, in spite of everything. Now all he had to do was…

'So we finally meet, Magician!'

Without having to move, Presto recognised the voice. It was just as high and creepy as before, but it had a sinister edge to it, as it echoed loudly around the chamber. It could only be the Shadow Demon himself.

The Magician turned, extraordinarily slowly, cursing himself for thinking it was over so easily. The new Ruler of the Realm, the Demon of the Shadow, full of Evil and anger was hovering in the air close to the entrance way, flanked by two slaves, robed in black.

The Demon had become an imposing sight, and it caught and held Presto's attention. It was a thick, dark Shadow, almost three times as big as it had been. On its head was a glowing, gold crown and a small unicorn skull hung around its neck on a gold chain. Its wings were outstretched, and it hung in the air looking down at the group, filling the chamber with an evil presence.

Presto had meet Evil before. He had been alone in Venger's presence at least twice and he had faced the No-Named-Evil as well, but he had never before felt so overwhelmed by its power. Shadow Demon waited and its empty, white eyes seemed to stare at him constantly, as if trying to see into his soul. Presto felt his skin crawl as he stood under the gaze of that vile creature. He had never really looked at it before, not properly. All he could see was its shiny, white eyes but no expression in its gaze. it was like looking at a picture or a painting. There was nothing there. It was worse than facing down Venger. At least with him you knew what you were dealing with. At least Venger had looked like a human.

They stared at each other in silence for almost a minute, and Presto was unaware of anything else. Then slowly, he heard the sound of Diana crying beside him. A frown crept across his face. _Why would she be doing that?_

Shadow Demon moved, sweeping his hand down in a mocking bow, as if to introduce its companions. Presto looked at the Demon's entourage, and froze in total shock. _This can't be happening…this CAN'T be happening… _(This can't be HAPPENING!!)

'You recognise my companions,' it said. 'But you have yet to be introduced.' It lifted its right hand and the slave took a step forward. 'She has no name but what I have given her: Taker of Lives and Bringer of Sorrow. She is Pain!'

At the Demon's right-hand side, Pain stepped forward once more as her name was spoken. And Presto felt like he'd been hit in the stomach.

_Sheila. _

The one-time Thief looked up at them, her eyes glowing an inhuman red. She wore a black robe, with a gold belt. Presto fought back a tidal wave of nausea. Sheila was the closest thing to a sister he had ever had, his trusted friend and confidante, the only one who he could really talk to.

_This can't be happening…This can't get any worse…Please, don't let this be what I think…_

There was a movement at Shadow Demon's other side. Presto glanced to the other slave, already knowing who he would see, and dreading the confirmation.

'And this,' said Shadow Demon gleefully, 'this is Torment: Torturer and Oppressor of Innocence! The violence inside his soul now has perfect form.'  
On the left of the Demon, Torment took a stride forward as well. The young boy looked up, his eyes as red as his sister's.

'Bobby,' whispered Presto.

Neither slave reacted to their true names now, and the Demon of the Shadow suddenly gave a nasty, high-pitched laugh. The sound cut through Presto. He'd let this happen. He'd let Shadow Demon take his friends and destroy them. Hank was dead, Eric was dead, the Bobby and Sheila he knew were gone.

This is what Dekkion had meant. The Knight knew his friends had been enslaved, he himself had fought Bobby (_no, he's Torment now_) in the city of Amulree. Anger started inside the Magician; Dekkion should have told him, he should have said something not leave him to be faced with this…this…revelation with no warning!

_What would I have done if he'd told me?_ (This would have tipped you over the edge) _But I had the right to know! He shoulda said! _(I think he tried to)

He wanted to shout at the Knight, but he didn't move. The Demon of the Shadow was staring at him, and he couldn't move.

'And yet, even with all my power, I still had to come and see for myself,' said Shadow Demon, sounding smug, 'to see these few Young Ones who try to steal my magic. And to watch them fail!'

Presto felt an overwhelming sense of hopelessness. It was three against three: One half-dead Celestial Knight and two weapon-less children against the Realm's Master and his two most powerful slaves. They didn't stand a chance. There was no point in even trying. He'd failed. He'd failed the instant he'd awoken in this terrible place. There was just no way to win.

Shadow Demon looked directly at Presto.

'I know what you have done, Magician!' it said. 'I know that it was YOU who wrought this change. But I will not let you change it back; I shall rule the Realm forever. I shall do what Venger could not!'

Presto had started to shake, and he shuffled backwards, trying to get away. It was just as Shadow Demon said: _It was all his fault_.

'I know what you feel, Magician. It is guilt. This is the consequence of your failure, Magician; do you like it?' The Demon gave a gurgling hiss, that might have been a laugh. 'And what would you do if you did restore your past? Would you tell them? You think they would forgive you?'

The Magician couldn't find anything to say, not even to acknowledge the truth in the Demon's words. That one spell had destroyed everything…Dizzy, he took a wobbly step back.

'This feeling inside,' continued Shadow Demon. 'There is no spell that can ever take it from you. The consequences of your foolishness will haunt you. Forever. I will make SURE of that!'

The crushing shame brought Presto to his knees. He'd failed them all: Hank and Sheila. Bobby and Diana. And Eric.

'Magician!' said the Demon commandingly, and Presto looked up. The next words were spoken softly, and had a strange seductive sound to them. 'Now rise, and take your appointed place with me, and your friends. Be free of this pain and guilt. You deserve nothing more; this is your new fate…so come!'

For just the tiniest part of a second, Presto want to. He wanted to be free from this feeling, and unable to remember what he'd done. He would do just about anything to get rid of the feeling of shame and guilt. Slowly, he got to his feet.

But then, there was a sound close by, making the Magician look round. Dekkion was just beside him, his Sword now drawn and held tightly in his hand. The Knight stood tall, imposing even with half his armour missing and blood seeping out from the wound in his side.

'No!' he said. 'You shall not take him too.'

The Demon of the Shadows gave a low hiss.

'What do you know, Knight!' it growled. 'Your time has gone and you are nothing! The boy's life, and power, are mine!'

The Knight raised his Sword, his face paler than death itself. Presto stared at Dekkion, trying to blink back tears. Why couldn't he just let it go, he wasn't worth it, he was nothing without his friends or his weapon. He was nothing! And he deserved his fate…

'No, Demon. I shall not let you.'

Shadow Demon laughed again, and the sound seemed to stab into the Magician. He shrank back.

'You came all this way, just to die!' sneered the Demon, facing Dekkion. 'Why do you care, Knight? This boy, he has destroyed you all! He has destroyed each one of your lives as surely as he lives and breathes! Why do you defend him?'

Then there was the strangest sound, as Dekkion laughed, right in the Demon's face.

'It is something beyond your knowledge, Demon!' he replied. 'It is faith, and it is friendship. So I have sworn, and so I will do.'

'Even to the end?' hissed Shadow Demon.

The Knight stood up as tall as he could.

'Even to Hell itself,' replied Dekkion.

It just took a few seconds, for the memories to come. Another day, another fight, another friend standing in front of him, his Shield raised… All the others had come through for him at some time or another, no matter what. He'd said so himself, that fateful evening, who knows how long ago; _I don't know what I'd do without you guys._ They were his friends, and in this awful place, they were his family, closer than brothers or sisters could ever be.

Was this what the Knight had meant? _You fear powerlessness, and believing yourself to be weak, you rely on others to control your fate. _

At the edge of despair, he stopped. Guilt and pain and fear were knotted tightly in his stomach, but there was something else. How many times had Hank looked at him, his eyes glowing with confidence? How often had he helped cheer up Bobby by doing stupid tricks with the Hat? How often had Sheila been there, beside him, ready to help if she could? He couldn't let them down; they were his friends.

And this was his fault, his responsibility. Somehow, he had to change it all back again. He just had to, no matter what. _But only through facing reality, can victory come to us. And only you can achieve this, Magician._

Only him.

It had only taken a second, and neither Shadow Demon nor Dekkion had moved. Then the Knight levelled his Sword at the trio, and it glowed with a bright blue light. Beside him, Diana waited, tall and proud and defenceless. He looked at her, seeing the fear in her eyes, but she didn't flinch and his heart gave a tiny lurch. She was amazing.

The Demon raised his hand.

There was a movement from behind the Demon and his entourage that suddenly caught Presto's attention, and he gasped.

Lorne! Complete with Stone of Astra! But there was someone else; Korlock, standing beside him. Both looked injured, but both were very definitely alive. Presto frowned in surprise, despite the imminent danger. Had they really managed to call a truce? How?

'Hey, you!' called the young boy, holding the red Talisman up. 'You! Demon! Try this!'

At his side, Korlock raised his hands, magic fire rising up from his fingers. There was an ugly snarl across his face and he glared at the Demon with undisguised hatred.

Huge arcs of red lightning lashed out from the Stone towards Shadow Demon. At the same time Korlock sent the angry blue fires straight at its two slaves.

Amazingly, the Demon retreated, howling in pain.

'Deal with them,' it screeched, turning back to face the Knight, the Acrobat and the Magician. 'DEAL WITH THEM!'

It happened so quickly, Presto barely had time to register everything. Dekkion dropped his guard and whirled round, ignoring the Acrobat as she leaped towards her one-time friends. The Knight reached for Presto, giving him an almighty shove through the crystal entranceway and into the chamber beyond. Presto couldn't do anything but stumble backwards. But, even as he was falling through, he could see the determination in his friend's eyes. Then the Knight swung his Sword sharply up, digging deep into the bright stones above him. There was a terrible splintering noise and a shout of anger, then the whole lot came crashing down just inches from Presto's feet.

He lay still for just a few second, before realising what had happened. Then he pulled himself up slowly, his head thumping. The fight was continuing outside; the screech of magic, the cries of pain and desperation, but they were muffled as if they were very far away. He knew Dekkion was dead, buried under a huge weight of rock. Diana, Korlock and Lorne probably were too. He hoped they were; he hoped they weren't Shadow Demon's slaves now as well.

Moving as fast as he could, he struggled to the glowing pool. He fell down to his knees, and leaned forward, scooping some of the glowing liquid out, filling the Hat to the brim. For a few seconds nothing happened, then the liquid slowly vanished, replaced by the familiar glow of magic from the Hat.

It surprised him that he didn't feel relief. It surprised him that he didn't spell himself out of there as quickly as possible. He tried, but he just couldn't form the right words for a spell. He didn't know what to say, and all he could think of were questions; what were the chances of it working? What if he just made it worse? What if it didn't work? What if it did work, what would he tell the others? _For Heaven's sake, Presto! How could it be worse? _(GET ON WITH IT! QUICK!)

But, frozen by indecision, he didn't speak.

There was a low growl behind him. The wall of splinted crystal had just vanished, the Demon of the Shadow, and the enslaved were standing there. He could see Sheila and Bobby, and now Diana too, all standing behind their Dark Lord their eyes glowing a baleful red. There was no sigh of the others.

Shadow Demon looked at the Hat and growled again.

'Foolish child!' it hissed. 'Perhaps you think you have won. But you will never master the weapon sufficiently to save them from their Fates.'

In spite of the danger, and knowing that the Demon was probably just playing for time, he had to know.

'What do you mean?'

Shadow Demon gave a soft laugh.

'Child, you have no idea what awaits you and your friends. You cannot see the pain and suffering ahead.' It stopped, hovering just above the ground. When it next spoke, its voice was barely a whisper. 'Do you think they will ever forgive you for this, Magician?'

For a second, Presto couldn't even breathe. _They will never forgive me for this_. (Do I even have to tell them?) _What if they never know? _(But what if they find out afterwards) _What should I do…?_

Then he caught the sly smile from the Demon in front of him. What had Dekkion said about it? "Its power resides in lies and deceit and regret." Even if the others didn't forgive him, it didn't matter. At least they would be there to make that choice.

Before, he had wondered what to say, how to be clear enough to erase this history and make everything change back. But there were no riddles or rhymes that would help, and he just spoke from the heart:

'Hat, change it back to the way it was before.'

He clutched the weapon to his chest and waited.

The creature in front of him hissed loudly, angry that it had finally failed.

'You may have won for now,' said Shadow Demon, 'but I will not forget this, Magician. This is how the Realm should be and I will not let you take it away from me! Somehow, I WILL return!' It raised its wings proudly. 'But, meantime, perhaps YOU need "something that you will remember"!'

A thin line of fire shot out, slicing across Presto's cheek, just as the Hat started to glow. There was a tingle that started in Presto's hands, and spread over his whole body and very, very slowly, everything went black.

'_C'mon, guys, we've gotta do something!' said a female voice._

'_Like what,' said a boy, his voice dripping with sarcasm, 'get a bucket of water?'_

'Knock it off, Eric!' said another boy. 'He might be…' 

Presto's eyes flicked open suddenly, and he sat up with a jerk, almost smacking into the boy beside him.

'Hey, watch it Presto!' said Eric.

For a few seconds, the Magician couldn't speak; he just looked around in amazement at his friends. He was back, he was BACK!

Hank was kneeling by his side, holding his arm gently. The Thief was next to him, smiling in relief. Bobby was at her other side with Uni cuddled into him. Opposite Hank, Eric knelt close to the Magician's head, and expression of delight on his face. And, pressed close to the Cavalier, was Diana.

'Easy, Presto,' said Hank with a calm smile. 'You're OK.'

His head was spinning. Eric was there beside him; and Hank, and Sheila, Diana, Bobby._ Could he really have done it?_

'W-what happened?' he asked eventually.

'You did the spell,' Sheila replied, 'and reached into the Hat. Then the next thing we knew you were lying on the floor, like this!' She reached out to point at his face. 'And you've been cut.'

Presto immediately reached up to his cheek. The cut was still there, fresh blood on his fingers. He caught his breath sharply, new fear slicing through his heart. _Oh… No… Oh no, oh no, oh no…_(Don't panic. Don't panic! DON'T PANIC!)

'I-it… really… happened…' he muttered between gasps. 'I…don't…'

'What?' demanded Diana. 'Presto, you've gone pale. You OK?'

He started to shake, feeling dizzy and light-headed as Sheila produced a handkerchief and started to dab the blood away. He couldn't breathe; he could only gasp for air that wouldn't stay. He looked around at his friends in a blind panic. This was just a trick; this was just a dream._ How, why, what…had…happened?_

He looked at the Hat in his hand, glowing with a soft green light.

'Guys…' he whispered. 'I…'

The next few seconds were the longest of his life. He couldn't tell them? Could he? He couldn't share what he'd see and heard. He couldn't share the knowledge and the pain of what had happened. They were never in a trillion years gonna trust him again if they found out what he and the Hat had done.

'Presto, what's happened?' asked Hank, his voice so full of concern that Presto almost began to cry. Mutely, the Magician shook his head.

'Can't…tell…' he managed.

'C'mon, Presto, you can tell us,' said Sheila. 'You can tell us anything.'

'Yeah, ' added the Cavalier. 'C'mon, ol' buddy! We're your friends.'

Tears started in Presto's eyes and he tried to blink them away. He sniffed.

'It's my fault…My fault… the Hat…'

The others seemed to understand that something serious had happened, but they all looked round at each other in confusion. Finally, Hank put his hand on Presto's shoulder.

'Sheila's right Presto, you can tell us anything. Anything at all.'

At his side, Uni gave a quiet whine, and rubbed her silky nose against his hand, trying to comfort him.

He wanted to tell them, and they deserved to know, no matter what the consequences.

And there it was, that word again. "There are always consequences, you should have learned that by now." Was this what he had to learn? Was this what he had to face?

They said he could trust them with anything. They were his family. He had to trust them.

His voice was shaking, and he seemed to stumble over every second word. He told them everything, down to the very last detail. For hours he talked, and in all that time they said nothing; they asked no questions, just sat there.

At the end, for almost a whole minute, they sat there in silence. And every second in that minute Presto was even more convinced they would hate him. The Demon was right, there was no way they would forgive him for something like that.

He looked at his friends, seeing expressions of shock and fear, but not anger or hatred. Sheila gave him a small smile, then pulled him into a big, warm hug.

'I-I'm so sorry, guys,' said Presto, his voice choked with emotion. 'The Hat, my magic, everything… it never goes right.'

There was the briefest pause, then he heard a snort of disgust from next to him. The Magician looked round. Eric was smiling. _Smiling?_ (Yep. That's definitely a smile, a real smile…)

'Who say's your magic never works!' demanded Eric. His voice sounded strained, and he was eyeing the Hat with a great deal of suspicion, but…yep, he was still smiling!

The Magician looked round, confused. The others looked at the Cavalier too. It was plain from the looks on their face they were just as surprised at Eric's statement as Presto was.

Eric just pointed at the Hat.

'The spell, it worked.' He flicked his eyebrow up in the usual Cavalier way that Presto had really, really missed. 'You asked for "something to remember!" Well, it's not like any of us are gonna forget THIS in a hurry!'

The End

* * *

Next: (sometime in January 2005) 

The Hall of the Mountain King.

When the gang run into a Clan of steel-loving Troglodytes, it's up to Hank to solve Dungeonmaster's riddles before time runs out.

* * *

Author's Notes. 

On Episodes.

Originally, in the episode "Dungeon at the Heart of Dawn", the guys wandered through a place filled with fire, and it seemed reasonable to assume that there were other sections of the Underworld filled with other Elements.

Dekkion, Lorne and Korlock are also characters form other episodes: Dekkion - "The Quest of the Skeleton Warrior", Lorne and Korlock from "The Twelfth Talisman".

On Creatures.

Almost all of the creatures in the underworld are based on things from the D&D Monster Manual, except the Water Devils, which just sorta happened.


End file.
